Who Should I Start? Terry McLaurin or Josh Downs

Friday, February 13, 8:22 AM

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough said that he wants wide receiver Terry McLaurin to get at least 10 targets per game. "This thing's going to be built around how do we get Terry 10 targets a game and get him explosive receptions after explosive receptions to kind of flip the field," Blough told WUSA9's John Doran. That's an aggressive goal to set, especially when stated publicly. McLaurin averaged just six targets per game in 2025, albeit with an inconsistent quarterback mix of Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, and Josh Johnson. Furthermore, he posted double-digit targets just once: in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos, with Mariota as his quarterback. Daniels is due back from an elbow injury in time for the 2026 season opener, which is a good sign for McLaurin's volume. The 30-year-old receiver averaged 11.4 full-PPR points per game last season and should rank as a mid-to-high WR2 ahead of 2026 fantasy football drafts.

Thursday, January 29, 5:39 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs followed up a solid second season in the NFL with his worst yet in Year 3. Downs had career-lows in receptions (58), targets (88), and receiving yards (566) while scoring four touchdowns in 16 games played. The 24-year-old pass-catcher also had a career-low 9.8 yards per catch as he operated as the team's No. 3 receiver behind Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman Jr. Even with quarterback Daniel Jones having a career resurgence before his season-ending torn Achilles tendon in the second half, Downs was unable to take advantage. He never clicked with Jones in the passing attack, and it didn't help that rookie tight end Tyler Warren caught 76 passes for 817 yards. Unless Indy releases Pittman this offseason to give Downs a clearer path to consistent targets, he won't be much more than a late-round dart throw with limited upside in 2026 fantasy drafts.