JoshDowns

News: 3 hours agoDowns secured four of nine targets for 109 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' 23-20 loss to the Texans on Sunday. He also recorded 13 rushing yards and returned two punts for 12 yards.

Spin: Downs led the Colts with a season-high receiving yardage total, and he was the only Indianapolis pass catcher to record more than 16 yards during what was another highly inefficient performance by Anthony Richardson. Richardson recorded his third touchdown of the season on a dynamic 69-yard catch late in the first quarter, and he had a 25-yard grab in the final period that was initially ruled a touchdown before being overturned on replay. Downs now has at least 66 receiving yards in five of the last six games, affording him plenty of momentum heading into a tough road matchup against the Vikings next Sunday night.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: In a modern NFL rife with three-receiver sets, being deemed a slot maven isn't nearly as limiting as it once was. Downs, for instance, enters his second season building on a strong rookie showing that included finishing seventh in total fantasy points among first-year receivers in what was a strong class for the position. Designation as a slot option doesn't disqualify Downs' potential to help fantasy managers at times in 2024, but it could signal a less exciting upper-end of outcomes. Three-quarters of his routes came from a slot alignment as a rookie, and it's likely we see similar deployment for the smaller receiver in his second campaign. With a limited ceiling and likely to miss a game or two early on due to injury, Downs can be targeted in the later rounds of drafts.