George Pickens or Josh Downs: who should I start in Week 5?

What the player markets price

The player markets price George Pickens at 14.1 PPR points a game, built from 4 markets across 17 market sources. That is the 50th highest figure of the 184 players the market prices.

The player markets price Josh Downs at 13.3 PPR points a game, built from 4 markets across 15 market sources. That is the 58th highest figure of the 184 players the market prices.

Where the draft room stands

Drafters have formed no consensus on George Pickens: he carries no ADP, and the board ranks him 27th overall on the rest of his evidence.

Drafters have formed no consensus on Josh Downs: he carries no ADP, and the board ranks him 31st overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 51.

This season through Week 4

Through Week 4, George Pickens has been on the field for 83 percent of DAL snaps, drawn 19 percent of the targets and had 6 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 12 of the offence's 38 third down targets, had 2 of its 19 chances inside the five and seen 5 of its 24 two minute targets.

His 28 targets have averaged 12.1 air yards.

In Week 2 against WAS he caught 6 of 8 targets for 40 yards and did not score.

In Week 3 against BAL he caught 7 of 11 targets for 82 yards and did not score.

In Week 4 against HOU he caught 2 of 3 targets for 75 yards and did not score.

Through Week 4, Josh Downs has been on the field for 79 percent of IND snaps, drawn 23 percent of the targets and had 11 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 11 of the offence's 30 third down targets, had 0 of its 9 chances inside the five and seen 2 of its 16 two minute targets.

His 28 targets have averaged 10.0 air yards.

In Week 2 against KC he caught 7 of 9 targets for 72 yards and did not score.

In Week 3 against HOU he caught 5 of 11 targets for 77 yards and did not score.

In Week 4 against WAS he caught 3 of 4 targets for 16 yards and did not score.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 George Pickens played 17 games and scored 291.9 PPR points, 17.2 a game, finishing WR5.

He caught 93 of 137 targets for 1429 yards and 9 touchdowns, with 21 red zone targets.

That came to 8.1 targets a game, a 68 percent catch rate and 15.4 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 83 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

In 2025 Josh Downs played 16 games and scored 136.4 PPR points, 8.5 a game, finishing WR44.

He caught 58 of 88 targets for 566 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets.

That came to 5.5 targets a game, a 66 percent catch rate and 9.8 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 58 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

George Pickens was available for 1 game more.

Head to head

In 2025 George Pickens scored 17.2 PPR points a game and Josh Downs 8.5, 8.6 a game between them.

George Pickens finished WR5 that year and Josh Downs WR44.

George Pickens had 49 more targets than Josh Downs, 137 to 88.

George Pickens had 863 more receiving yards than Josh Downs, 1429 to 566.

This season George Pickens holds the bigger snap share, 83 percent against 79 percent.

This season Josh Downs holds the bigger target share, 23 percent against 19 percent.

Byes and availability

George Pickens is off in Week 14 and Josh Downs in Week 13, so either can cover the other's bye.

What would change the answer

0.8 points a game is the entire case. The market restates it every week, and a line that moves moves the order with it.

The draft market is the half that is missing: when the consensus sample holds these two again it can order them differently from the price, and this page will follow the sample rather than the market price when it does.