Who Should I Start? Zay Flowers or Josh Downs

Monday, May 5, 12:22 PM

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that wide receiver Zay Flowers (knee) ended up not needing surgery for his knee this offseason. Flowers sprained his right knee in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns and wasn't able to play in either of the team's postseason games as a results. The 24-year-old former 22nd overall pick in 2023 out of Boston College should now be fully ready for the start of the 2025 season this fall, but we'll keep a close eye on his progress once training camp gets underway in late July. Flowers earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2024 in his second year in the league after catching 74 passes for 1,059 yards and four touchdowns on 116 targets over 17 games (15 starts). He has been the team's WR1 since being drafted in the first round and has plenty of elusiveness and speed, but he's more of a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 in fantasy in a run-first offense.

Sunday, January 5, 8:52 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs caught 10 of his 13 targets for 94 yards during Sunday's Week 18 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts' passing attack has seen a significant boost ever since quarterback Joe Flacco took over for the injured Anthony Richardson (back), but Downs truly took his productivity to the next level during Sunday's season finale. He finishes the 2024 campaign with 72 catches, 803 yards, and five touchdowns. Each of these three marks represented season-highs, topping the totals he delivered as a rookie last year. Downs has firmly established himself as an appealing 1B option with the Colts, pairing nicely alongside their 1A receiver, Michael Pittman Jr. The UNC product will rank as a high-end WR3 when 2025 fantasy football drafts kick off next summer, and he has even greater appeal in dynasty leagues.