Who Should I Start? Zay Flowers or Josh Downs

Wednesday, July 30, 3:58 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (knee/leg) did not practice on Wednesday, but head coach John Harbaugh said the Pro Bowl wideout had "camp-like" stuff pop up and will get a day or a few days off. It sounds like Flowers is dealing with a minor ailment, so fantasy managers should not be concerned at this point. In his second NFL season last year, Flowers secured 74 of his 116 targets for 1,059 yards and four touchdowns. The former first-round pick out of Boston College has been excellent to start his NFL career, but high-end WR1 upside for fantasy football is likely out of reach thanks to the Ravens' dominance on the ground. Either way, he's a solid WR2/3 or flex option and has the big-play ability to produce spike weeks. His competition for targets in the wide receiver room remains weak entering 2025.

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.