Should I start Malik Washington or Josh Downs in Week 8?

Where the draft room stands

Live drafts hold no current pick on Malik Washington, and the board ranks him 132nd overall on the rest of his evidence.

Live drafts hold no current pick on Josh Downs, and the board ranks him 134th overall on the rest of his evidence.

The market-based projections

The market-based projection for Malik Washington is 1.7 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 1.7 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.

Malik Washington's projection is not complete, so the two figures are not set against each other here.

This season through Week 7

Through Week 7, Malik Washington has been on the field for 84 percent of MIA snaps, drawn 26 percent of the targets and had 10 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 6 of the offence's 41 third down targets, had 0 of its 15 chances inside the five and seen 6 of its 19 two minute targets.

His 39 targets have averaged 11.2 air yards.

In Week 4 against MIN he carried 2 times for 3 yards, caught 5 of 5 targets for 67 yards and did not score.

In Week 5 against CIN he carried 1 time for 18 yards, caught 6 of 8 targets for 43 yards and did not score.

In Week 7 against NYJ he carried 2 times for 8 yards, caught 3 of 3 targets for 27 yards and did not score.

Through Week 7, Josh Downs has been on the field for 82 percent of IND snaps, drawn 20 percent of the targets and had 10 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 15 of the offence's 56 third down targets, had 0 of its 19 chances inside the five and seen 4 of its 30 two minute targets.

His 46 targets have averaged 10.7 air yards.

In Week 5 against PIT he caught 3 of 6 targets for 47 yards and did not score.

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.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 Malik Washington played 17 games and scored 116.7 PPR points, 6.9 a game, finishing WR54.

He caught 46 of 65 targets for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 11 red zone targets.

That came to 3.8 targets a game, a 71 percent catch rate and 6.9 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 56 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.

Malik Washington was available for 1 game more.

Head to head

In 2025 Josh Downs scored 8.5 PPR points a game and Malik Washington 6.9, 1.7 a game between them.

Malik Washington finished WR54 that year and Josh Downs WR44.

Josh Downs had 23 more targets than Malik Washington, 88 to 65.

Josh Downs had 249 more receiving yards than Malik Washington, 566 to 317.

This season Malik Washington holds the bigger snap share, 84 percent against 82 percent.

This season Malik Washington holds the bigger target share, 26 percent against 20 percent.

Byes and availability

Malik Washington is off in Week 6 and Josh Downs in Week 13, so either can cover the other's bye.