Start Chris Olave or Josh Downs? Week 7

Our Week 7 call

Start Chris Olave over Josh Downs in Week 7.

Market-based projections have Chris Olave at 15.3 points and Josh Downs at 14.2, a gap of 1.1. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. No player market is posted for Josh Downs this week yet, so his 14.2 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 4 and 5 (16.3 and 12.0); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Chris Olave at ADP 26 and Josh Downs at 96.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 15.3 fantasy points for Chris Olave, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Chris Olave is 73 receiving yards, 5-6 receptions and 0.4 touchdowns (7, 7 and 8 market sources).

No Week 7 player market is posted for Josh Downs yet. His market-based projections were 16.3 and 12.0 points in Weeks 4 and 5, an average of 14.2, which stands in until his Week 7 market posts.

That puts Chris Olave 1.1 points ahead of Josh Downs on these projections.

Week 7 matchups

Chris Olave and NO host PIT on Sunday at 9:30 AM ET.

PIT allowed 28.6 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 6th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 142 yards and 0-1 touchdowns a game against PIT.

Josh Downs and IND visit MIN on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

MIN allowed 27.1 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 5 games, the 5th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 133 yards and 0.6 touchdowns a game against MIN.

By points allowed to the position, Chris Olave has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Chris Olave is not on the injury report.

Josh Downs is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 7

Through Week 6, Chris Olave played 81 percent of NO snaps, drew 27 percent of the targets, earned 43 percent of the air yards and had 11 percent of the red zone chances.

Chris Olave, Week 3 against LV: 62 of 74 snaps, 13 targets and 9 catches for 107 yards.

Chris Olave, Week 4 against ATL: 64 of 74 snaps, 12 targets and 8 catches for 116 yards.

Chris Olave, Week 5 against MIN: 41 of 45 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 46 yards.

Chris Olave, Week 6 against NYG: 42 of 72 snaps, 7 targets and 4 catches for 43 yards, 1 touchdown.

Through Week 6, Josh Downs played 81 percent of IND snaps, drew 21 percent of the targets, earned 26 percent of the air yards and had 11 percent of the red zone chances.

Josh Downs, Week 3 against HOU: 48 of 71 snaps, 11 targets and 5 catches for 77 yards.

Josh Downs, Week 4 against WAS: 51 of 66 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 16 yards.

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.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Chris Olave played 16 games for NO and scored 269.0 PPR points, 16.8 a game, finishing WR6.

He caught 100 of 156 targets for 1163 yards and 9 touchdowns, with 13 red zone targets and 874 air yards.

He was on the field for 84 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

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 7 calls

• Start Chris Olave over A.J. Brown.
• Start Amon-Ra St. Brown over Chris Olave.
• Start CeeDee Lamb over Chris Olave.
• Start A.J. Brown over Josh Downs.
• Start Carnell Tate over Josh Downs.
• Start CeeDee Lamb over Josh Downs.