Start Devaughn Vele or Josh Downs? Week 10

Our Week 10 call

Start Josh Downs over Devaughn Vele in Week 10.

Market-based projections have Josh Downs at 9.8 points and Devaughn Vele at 9.6, a gap of 0.2. 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 9.8 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 7, 8 and 9 (10.9, 7.8 and 10.8); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Devaughn Vele this week yet, so his 9.6 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 7 and 9 (10.3 and 8.9); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Josh Downs at ADP 96 and Devaughn Vele at 213.

What the market projects

No Week 10 player market is posted for Josh Downs yet. His market-based projections were 10.9, 7.8 and 10.8 points in Weeks 7, 8 and 9, an average of 9.8, which stands in until his Week 10 market posts.

No Week 10 player market is posted for Devaughn Vele yet. His market-based projections were 10.3 and 8.9 points in Weeks 7 and 9, an average of 9.6, which stands in until his Week 10 market posts.

That puts Josh Downs 0.2 points ahead of Devaughn Vele on these projections.

Week 10 matchups

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

MIA allowed 25.4 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 3rd fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 121 yards and 0.7 touchdowns a game against MIA.

Devaughn Vele and NO host CAR on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

CAR allowed 29.8 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 13th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 144 yards and 0.6 touchdowns a game against CAR.

By points allowed to the position, Devaughn Vele has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Josh Downs is not on the injury report.

Devaughn Vele is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 10

Through Week 9, Josh Downs played 81 percent of IND snaps, drew 20 percent of the targets, earned 24 percent of the air yards and had 10 percent of the red zone chances.

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.

Josh Downs, Week 9 against DAL: 49 of 64 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 24 yards.

Through Week 9, Devaughn Vele played 92 percent of NO snaps, drew 18 percent of the targets, earned 22 percent of the air yards and had 9 percent of the red zone chances.

Devaughn Vele, Week 5 against MIN: 43 of 45 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 26 yards.

Devaughn Vele, Week 6 against NYG: 66 of 72 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 42 yards.

Devaughn Vele, Week 7 against PIT: 51 of 57 snaps, 5 targets and 5 catches for 54 yards, 1 touchdown.

Devaughn Vele, Week 9 against CLE: 70 of 75 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 17 yards.

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.

In 2025, Devaughn Vele played 13 games for NO and scored 66.3 PPR points, 5.1 a game, finishing WR95.

He caught 25 of 39 targets for 293 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 4 red zone targets and 259 air yards.

He was on the field for 51 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 10 calls

• Start Josh Downs over DeMario Douglas.
• Start Josh Downs over Denzel Boston.
• Start DJ Moore over Josh Downs.
• Start Devaughn Vele over Adonai Mitchell.
• Start Devaughn Vele over DeMario Douglas.
• Start Denzel Boston over Devaughn Vele.