Who Should I Start? Tyler Lockett or Josh Downs

Friday, August 15, 7:30 PM

Tennessee Titans wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett did not suit up for the team's second preseason game on Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons, according to Turron Davenport of ESPN. It remains to be seen if the Titans will allow Ridley and Lockett to take the field for the final preseason contest next Friday versus the Minnesota Vikings. Targets and volume shouldn't be an issue for Ridley as he goes into his second year in Tennessee, although he'll be working with rookie quarterback Cameron Ward. The 30-year-old caught 64 of 120 targets for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games last year with poor QB play. Efficiency could once again be an issue in a weak Titans offense, which makes Ridley more of a WR3/flex in fantasy than a bonafide WR2 target. Ridley has back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and 12 combined TDs.

Monday, August 25, 8:13 PM

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen expects wide receiver Josh Downs (hamstring) to be back on the practice field next week before the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 7. Downs suffered a hamstring injury on Aug. 14 and has been held out of practice since, but it sounds like he's improving and should be ready for the start of the regular season in early September. The 24-year-old former third-rounder in 2023 out of North Carolina took a step forward in his second year in Indy in 2024 with 72 catches for 803 yards and five touchdowns on 107 targets over 14 games (eight starts). Downs has a limited fantasy ceiling because of his mediocre athleticism, but Daniel Jones winning the starting QB job was good for his value as a WR4/flex flier later in fantasy drafts. He'll be in starting three-wide sets with Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce.