Start Caleb Douglas or Josh Downs? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Josh Downs over Caleb Douglas in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Josh Downs at 10.3 points and Caleb Douglas at 8.4, a gap of 1.9. No player market is posted for Josh Downs this week yet, so his 10.3 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (12.3, 10.9 and 7.8); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Josh Downs at ADP 96 and Caleb Douglas at 215.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 8.4 fantasy points for Caleb Douglas, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Caleb Douglas is 40 receiving yards, 2-3 receptions and 0.3 touchdowns (12, 11 and 12 market sources).

No Week 9 player market is posted for Josh Downs yet. His market-based projections were 12.3, 10.9 and 7.8 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 10.3, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

The market-based projection for Josh Downs is 0.3 touchdowns (9 market sources).

That puts Josh Downs 1.9 points ahead of Caleb Douglas on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

Caleb Douglas and MIA host DET on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

DET allowed 37.7 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 3rd most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 176 yards and 0.9 touchdowns a game against DET.

Josh Downs and IND host DAL on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

DAL allowed 35.6 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 8 games, the 7th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 164 yards and a touchdown a game against DAL.

By points allowed to the position, Caleb Douglas has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Caleb Douglas is not on the injury report.

Josh Downs is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 8, Caleb Douglas played 82 percent of MIA snaps, drew 19 percent of the targets, earned 28 percent of the air yards and had 7 percent of the red zone chances.

Caleb Douglas, Week 1 against LV: 51 of 56 snaps, 7 targets and 5 catches for 94 yards.

Caleb Douglas, Week 2 against SF: 51 of 59 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 19 yards.

Caleb Douglas, Week 7 against NYJ: 44 of 65 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 70 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Caleb Douglas, Week 8 against NE: 56 of 65 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 43 yards.

Through Week 8, Josh Downs played 81 percent of IND snaps, drew 20 percent of the targets, earned 26 percent of the air yards and had 11 percent of the red zone chances.

Josh Downs, Week 5 against PIT: 60 of 71 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 47 yards.

Josh Downs, Week 6 against TEN: 71 of 83 snaps, 1 carry for 7 yards, 8 targets and 4 catches for 40 yards.

Josh Downs, Week 7 against MIN: 52 of 58 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 18 yards.

Josh Downs, Week 8 against JAX: 46 of 61 snaps, 5 targets and 4 catches for 23 yards, 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Josh Downs played 16 games for IND 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 and 422 air yards.

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

Their other Week 9 calls

• Start Chris Godwin Jr. over Caleb Douglas.
• Start Caleb Douglas over Cooper Kupp.
• Start Courtland Sutton over Caleb Douglas.
• Start Chris Godwin Jr. over Josh Downs.
• Start Courtland Sutton over Josh Downs.
• Start Josh Downs over Denzel Boston.