Who Should I Start? Stefon Diggs or Josh Downs

Wednesday, September 3, 7:31 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (knee), who is coming off a torn ACL suffered last year with the Houston Texans, is not listed on the team's initial injury report on Wednesday, confirming that he's on track to play in Week 1 on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Head coach Mike Vrabel also said on Tuesday that Diggs will "be out there" this weekend. It's great news for the Patriots offense and quarterback Drake Maye, who is heading into his first year as the full-time starter. Not only could the 31-year-old Diggs not be the same player coming off a torn ACL, but the Patriots' offense could have early-season growing pains with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels returning. The good news is he should operate as the WR1, but fantasy managers may want to temper expectations and treat him as a WR3/flex in Week 1.

Wednesday, September 3, 4:09 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (hamstring) is not on the team's initial injury report. This is an excellent sign as the wideout was battling a hamstring injury throughout most of August. However, seeing him practice in full on Wednesday should put him in an excellent position to be at full strength in their season opener on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status throughout the week in case he faces a setback. Last season, despite playing with subpar QB play, Downs flashed immense upside as he averaged 13.1 PPR points per game across 14 contests. During this stretch, Downs tallied 57.4 yards per game and scored five touchdowns. With Daniel Jones slated to serve as the QB1 in Indianapolis, Downs possesses high-end WR3 upside facing the Dolphins.