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Start Devaughn Vele or Josh Downs? Week 9

Updated Nov 3, 3:36 AM ET.

Start Josh Downs over Devaughn Vele

Downs projects lower, 10.3 to 10.4, and still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player: ADP 96 for Downs, 213 for Vele.

Start

Josh Downs

WR · IND · vs DAL

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
Sit

Devaughn Vele

WR · NO · vs CLE

Market projects
10.4
recent weeks avg
CLE D vs WR
31.8
14th most to WRs (2026)
Snap share
91%
Through Week 7
Target share
18%
Through Week 7

Should I drop Devaughn Vele for Josh Downs?

Not on these numbers alone. Devaughn Vele projects 90 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (10.0 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 Josh Downs over Devaughn Vele.

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Our Week 9 call

Start Josh Downs over Devaughn Vele in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Josh Downs at 10.3 points and Devaughn Vele at 10.4, a gap of 0.0. 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 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. No player market is posted for Devaughn Vele this week yet, so his 10.4 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6 and 7 (10.4 and 10.3); 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 9 player market is posted for Devaughn Vele yet. His market-based projections were 10.4 and 10.3 points in Weeks 6 and 7, an average of 10.4, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

The market-based projection for Devaughn Vele is 0.3 touchdowns (5 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.

That puts Devaughn Vele 0.0 points ahead of Josh Downs on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

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

CLE allowed 31.8 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 14th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 150 yards and a touchdown a game against CLE.

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

DAL allowed 35.5 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 10th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 163 yards and a touchdown a game against DAL.

By points allowed to the position, Josh Downs has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Devaughn Vele is not on the injury report.

Josh Downs is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 7, Devaughn Vele played 91 percent of NO snaps, drew 18 percent of the targets, earned 24 percent of the air yards and had 10 percent of the red zone chances.

Devaughn Vele, Week 4 against ATL: 66 of 74 snaps, 9 targets and 6 catches for 54 yards, 1 touchdown.

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.

Through Week 8, Josh Downs played 82 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: 5 targets and 4 catches for 23 yards, 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

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.

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

Locks at kickoff, graded after. When the start/sit engine grades week 9, the call and the result appear on the public record, wrong ones included.

Drop or keep

  • Should I drop Devaughn Vele for Josh Downs?

    Not on these numbers alone. Devaughn Vele projects 90 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (10.0 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 Josh Downs over Devaughn Vele.

  • Should I drop Josh Downs for Devaughn Vele?

    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 Devaughn Vele 90 (10.0 a game over 9 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 9 the call starts Josh Downs over Devaughn Vele.

Should I drop Josh Downs?

Week 9 on the board

Elsewhere on the board