Should I drop Jaylen Waddle for Josh Downs?

Not on these numbers alone. Jaylen Waddle projects 110 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (12.2 a game over 9 games) and Josh Downs 105 (11.7 a game over 9 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 8 the call starts Jaylen Waddle over Josh Downs. Jaylen Waddle is listed questionable.

Start Jaylen Waddle or Josh Downs? Week 8

Updated Oct 27, 8:26 AM ET. Locks at kickoff, graded after. Week 9 answer posts Tuesday.

Latest

Oct 25, 7:43 PM ET: Jaylen Waddle: Listed Questionable (Undisclosed) (Sleeper injury feed)
Oct 21, 7:43 PM ET: Jaylen Waddle: Listed Questionable (Chest) (Sleeper injury feed)

Start Jaylen Waddle over Josh Downs

Start

Jaylen Waddle

WR · DEN · vs KC · Questionable

Market projects: 11.7; recent weeks avg
KC D vs WR: 23.7; 2nd fewest to WRs (2026)
Upside: Limited; 28 of 100 at WR
Snap share: 66%; Through Week 7
Target share: 23%; Through Week 7

Sit

Josh Downs

WR · IND · at JAX

Market projects: 11.7; recent weeks avg
JAX D vs WR: 38.0; 4th most to WRs (2026)
Upside: Rising; 74 of 100 at WR
Snap share: 82%; Through Week 7
Target share: 20%; Through Week 7

Should I drop Josh Downs for Jaylen Waddle?

Not on these numbers alone. Josh Downs projects 105 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (11.7 a game over 9 games) and Jaylen Waddle 110 (12.2 a game over 9 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 8 the call starts Jaylen Waddle over Josh Downs. Jaylen Waddle is listed questionable.

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Our Week 8 call

Start Jaylen Waddle over Josh Downs in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Jaylen Waddle at 11.7 points and Josh Downs at 11.7, 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 Jaylen Waddle this week yet, so his 11.7 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (12.4, 10.8 and 12.0); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Josh Downs this week yet, so his 11.7 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (12.0, 12.3 and 10.9); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Jaylen Waddle at ADP 43 and Josh Downs at 96.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Jaylen Waddle yet. His market-based projections were 12.4, 10.8 and 12.0 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 11.7, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

No Week 8 player market is posted for Josh Downs yet. His market-based projections were 12.0, 12.3 and 10.9 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 11.7, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

That puts Jaylen Waddle 0.0 points ahead of Josh Downs on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Jaylen Waddle and DEN host KC on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

KC allowed 23.7 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 2nd fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 122 yards and 0.2 touchdowns a game against KC.

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

JAX allowed 38.0 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 4th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 210 yards and 0-1 touchdowns a game against JAX.

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

Injury status

Jaylen Waddle is listed as questionable with a undisclosed injury.

Josh Downs is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, Jaylen Waddle played 66 percent of DEN snaps, drew 23 percent of the targets, earned 36 percent of the air yards and had 8 percent of the red zone chances.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 4 against SF: 45 of 65 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 35 yards, 1 touchdown.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 5 against LAC: 40 of 62 snaps, 1 carry for 9 yards, 5 targets and 2 catches for 19 yards.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 6 against SEA: 39 of 60 snaps, 7 targets and 4 catches for 24 yards.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 7 against ARI: 34 of 61 snaps, 7 targets and 4 catches for 48 yards.

Through Week 7, Josh Downs played 82 percent of IND snaps, drew 20 percent of the targets, earned 26 percent of the air yards and had 10 percent of the red zone chances.

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.

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

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Jaylen Waddle played 16 games for MIA and scored 194.1 PPR points, 12.1 a game, finishing WR24.

He caught 64 of 100 targets for 910 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 11 red zone targets and 682 air yards.

He was on the field for 78 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 8 calls

Locks at kickoff, graded after. When the start/sit engine grades week 8, the call and the result appear on the public record, wrong ones included.

Drop or keep

Should I drop Josh Downs for Jaylen Waddle?
Not on these numbers alone. Josh Downs projects 105 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (11.7 a game over 9 games) and Jaylen Waddle 110 (12.2 a game over 9 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 8 the call starts Jaylen Waddle over Josh Downs. Jaylen Waddle is listed questionable.
Should I drop Jaylen Waddle for Josh Downs?
Not on these numbers alone. Jaylen Waddle projects 110 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (12.2 a game over 9 games) and Josh Downs 105 (11.7 a game over 9 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 8 the call starts Jaylen Waddle over Josh Downs. Jaylen Waddle is listed questionable.

Should I drop Josh Downs?