Start Jaylen Waddle or Josh Downs? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Jaylen Waddle over Josh Downs in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Jaylen Waddle at 10.7 points and Josh Downs at 10.3, a gap of 0.4. 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 10.7 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (10.8, 12.0 and 9.3); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. 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 Jaylen Waddle at ADP 43 and Josh Downs at 96.

What the market projects

No Week 9 player market is posted for Jaylen Waddle yet. His market-based projections were 10.8, 12.0 and 9.3 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 10.7, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

The market-based projection for Jaylen Waddle is 0.4 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 Jaylen Waddle 0.4 points ahead of Josh Downs on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

Jaylen Waddle and DEN visit CAR on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

CAR allowed 27.7 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 6th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 133 yards and 0-1 touchdowns a game against CAR.

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

Jaylen Waddle is not on the injury report.

Josh Downs is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 8, Jaylen Waddle played 66 percent of DEN snaps, drew 23 percent of the targets, earned 37 percent of the air yards and had 8 percent of the red zone chances.

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.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 8 against KC: 6 targets and 3 catches for 39 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, 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 9 calls

• Start Jaylen Waddle over Denzel Boston.
• Start Jaylen Waddle over Devaughn Vele.
• Start Jaylen Waddle over DJ Moore.
• Start Chris Godwin Jr. over Josh Downs.
• Start Josh Downs over Denzel Boston.
• Start Josh Downs over Devaughn Vele.