Should I start Ladd McConkey or Josh Downs in Week 9?
Updated Nov 3, 3:36 AM ET. Week 10 answers post Tuesday.
Week 9 verdict
Start Ladd McConkey over Josh Downs
McConkey projects lower, 9.6 to 10.3, and still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player: ADP 42 for McConkey, 96 for Downs.
- Market projects
- 9.6
- recent weeks avg
- HOU D vs WR
- 37.3
- 5th most to WRs (2026)
- Snap share
- 46%
- Through Week 8
- Target share
- 13%
- Through Week 8
- Market projects
- 10.3
- recent weeks avg
- DAL D vs WR
- 35.5
- 10th most to WRs (2026)
- Snap share
- 82%
- Through Week 8
- Target share
- 20%
- Through Week 8
Start Ladd McConkey over Josh Downs in Week 9. McConkey projects lower, 9.6 to 10.3, and still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player: ADP 42 for McConkey, 96 for Downs.
Should I drop Ladd McConkey for Josh Downs?
Not on these numbers alone. Ladd McConkey projects 88 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (9.8 a game over 9 games) and Josh Downs 92 (11.5 a game over 8 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 9 the call starts Ladd McConkey over Josh Downs.
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Your next move
More fantasy football tools and rankings, all built from the same board.
Neither man carries a season projection right now, so this is their usage this season and their last full season's numbers, side by side.
WR57 · LAC · bye 7
2026 vs anytime td line 1-5
- Market-based projection
- 10.4 pts a game Wk 8 price
- Overall rank
- 141
WR58 · IND · bye 13
2026 vs anytime td line 1-7
- Market-based projection
- 7.8 pts a game Wk 8 price
- Overall rank
- 142
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The gap
- Board size297 draftable players
Draft data is not current for these two, so the figures that depend on it are left out. The call above comes from each player's usage.
Where the draft room stands
Live drafts hold no current pick on Ladd McConkey, and the board ranks him 141st overall on the rest of his evidence.
By format he goes standard: ADP 14; 2QB: ADP 35.
Live drafts hold no current pick on Josh Downs, and the board ranks him 142nd overall on the rest of his evidence.
The market-based projections
The market-based projection for Ladd McConkey is 1.8 PPR points a game off 1 market across 1 market source. That is 30 percent of what a wide receiver's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.
The market-based projection for Josh Downs is 1.8 PPR points a game off 1 market across 1 market source. That is 30 percent of what a wide receiver's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.
Ladd McConkey's projection is not complete, so the two figures are not set against each other here.
This season through Week 8
Through Week 8, Ladd McConkey has been on the field for 46 percent of LAC snaps, drawn 13 percent of the targets and had 4 percent of the red zone chances.
He has taken 10 of the offence's 61 third down targets, had 0 of its 7 chances inside the five and seen 2 of its 22 two minute targets.
His 24 targets have averaged 12.4 air yards.
In Week 4 against SEA he caught 0 of 2 targets for 0 yards and did not score.
In Week 6 against KC he caught 1 of 1 target for 17 yards and did not score.
In Week 8 against LAR he caught 4 of 6 targets for 86 yards and did not score.
Through Week 8, Josh Downs has been on the field for 82 percent of IND snaps, drawn 20 percent of the targets and had 11 percent of the red zone chances.
He has taken 16 of the offence's 64 third down targets, had 0 of its 21 chances inside the five and seen 5 of its 35 two minute targets.
His 51 targets have averaged 10.4 air yards.
In Week 6 against TEN he carried 1 time for 7 yards, caught 4 of 8 targets for 40 yards and did not score.
In Week 7 against MIN he caught 2 of 4 targets for 18 yards and did not score.
In Week 8 against JAX he caught 4 of 5 targets for 23 yards and scored 1 touchdown.
Their 2025 seasons
In 2025 Ladd McConkey played 16 games and scored 180.9 PPR points, 11.3 a game, finishing WR30.
He caught 66 of 106 targets for 789 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets.
That came to 6.6 targets a game, a 62 percent catch rate and 12.0 yards a catch.
He was on the field for 78 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 5-6 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.
Both were available for 16 games that season.
Head to head
In 2025 Ladd McConkey scored 11.3 PPR points a game and Josh Downs 8.5, 2.8 a game between them.
Ladd McConkey finished WR30 that year and Josh Downs WR44.
Ladd McConkey had 18 more targets than Josh Downs, 106 to 88.
Ladd McConkey had 223 more receiving yards than Josh Downs, 789 to 566.
This season Josh Downs holds the bigger snap share, 82 percent against 46 percent.
This season Josh Downs holds the bigger target share, 20 percent against 13 percent.
Byes and availability
Ladd McConkey is off in Week 7 and Josh Downs in Week 13, so either can cover the other's bye.
Drop or keep
Should I drop Ladd McConkey for Josh Downs?
Not on these numbers alone. Ladd McConkey projects 88 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (9.8 a game over 9 games) and Josh Downs 92 (11.5 a game over 8 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 9 the call starts Ladd McConkey over Josh Downs.
Should I drop Josh Downs for Ladd McConkey?
Not on these numbers alone. Josh Downs projects 92 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (11.5 a game over 8 games) and Ladd McConkey 88 (9.8 a game over 9 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 9 the call starts Ladd McConkey over Josh Downs.
Should I drop Josh Downs?Should I drop Ladd McConkey?
Both players in full
Week 9 on the board
- Is Ladd McConkey playing Week 9?
- Is Josh Downs playing Week 9?
- Chargers depth chart
- Colts depth chart
- Week 9 WR rankings
- Week 9 fantasy rankings
- Week 9 start or sit
- Week 9 waiver wire
- Week 9 trade value chart
- Trade deadline buy low, sell high
- Fantasy football rankings
- Start 'em sit 'em Week 9
- Waiver wire pickups
- Fantasy sleepers
- Rest of season rankings
- Week 9 kicker rankings
- Week 9 defense rankings
