Yahoo Fantasy Football on Josh Downs
From the article
Reports throughout the offseason suggested Josh Downs would line up more on the outside after spending the first three years of his career as a successful slot receiver. After getting off to a hot start in which he caught two passes on three targets for 37 yards on the Colts' opening drive, Downs failed to see a target the rest of the way. Per PFF, Downs played 78.8 percent of his snaps on passing plays from the slot last week against the Ravens, on par with his career slot rate of 81.5 percent from 2023 to 2025.
STACKED’s take
Downs' slot role unchanged despite offseason hype; 78.8% slot rate, limited targets.
Despite offseason reports suggesting Downs would line up more on the outside to expand his role and increase downfield targets, Week 1 against the Ravens showed little change. Downs caught two passes on three targets for 37 yards on the opening drive but failed to see a target the rest of the game. He led all Colts receivers in offensive snaps (47) and routes run (32), but per PFF, he played 78.8 percent of his snaps from the slot—on par with his career slot rate of 81.5 percent (2023–2025). His 7.0 ADOT aligns with his career 7.4 ADOT. The arrival of Keenan Allen late in training camp likely complicates hopes of an expanded role. The source is not rushing to start him in Week 2 on the road against a Chiefs defense that gave the Broncos fits.
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