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Start Ladd McConkey or Josh Downs? Week 9

Updated Nov 3, 3:36 AM ET.

Start Ladd McConkey over Josh Downs

McConkey projects lower, 9.6 to 10.3, and still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player: ADP 42 for McConkey, 96 for Downs.

Start

Ladd McConkey

WR · LAC · vs HOU

Market projects
9.6
recent weeks avg
HOU D vs WR
37.3
5th most to WRs (2026)
Upside
Rising
70 of 100 at WR
Snap share
46%
Through Week 8
Target share
13%
Through Week 8
Sit

Josh Downs

WR · IND · vs DAL

Market projects
10.3
recent weeks avg
DAL D vs WR
35.5
10th most to WRs (2026)
Upside
High
90 of 100 at WR
Snap share
82%
Through Week 8
Target share
20%
Through Week 8

Should I drop Ladd McConkey for Josh Downs?

Not on these numbers alone. Ladd McConkey projects 88 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (9.8 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 Ladd McConkey over Josh Downs.

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Our Week 9 call

Start Ladd McConkey over Josh Downs in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Ladd McConkey at 9.6 points and Josh Downs at 10.3, a gap of 0.7. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. Ladd McConkey still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player, ADP 42 against 96, and that outweighs a gap this size. No player market is posted for Ladd McConkey this week yet, so his 9.6 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6 and 8 (9.0 and 10.3); 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.

What the market projects

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.

No Week 9 player market is posted for Ladd McConkey yet. His market-based projections were 9.0 and 10.3 points in Weeks 6 and 8, an average of 9.6, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

That puts Josh Downs 0.7 points ahead of Ladd McConkey on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

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.

Ladd McConkey and LAC host HOU on Sunday at 4:05 PM ET.

HOU allowed 37.3 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 5th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 187 yards and 0.9 touchdowns a game against HOU.

By points allowed to the position, Ladd McConkey has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Josh Downs is not on the injury report.

Ladd McConkey is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

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.

Through Week 8, Ladd McConkey played 46 percent of LAC snaps, drew 13 percent of the targets, earned 21 percent of the air yards and had 4 percent of the red zone chances.

Ladd McConkey, Week 3 against BUF: 61 of 69 snaps, 5 targets and 4 catches for 66 yards.

Ladd McConkey, Week 4 against SEA: 24 of 71 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Ladd McConkey, Week 6 against KC: 8 of 68 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 17 yards.

Ladd McConkey, Week 8 against LAR: 6 targets and 4 catches for 86 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, Ladd McConkey played 16 games for LAC and scored 180.9 PPR points, 11.3 a game, finishing WR30.

He caught 66 of 106 targets for 789 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets and 479 air yards.

He was on the field for 78 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 Ladd McConkey for Josh Downs?

    Not on these numbers alone. Ladd McConkey projects 88 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (9.8 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 Ladd McConkey over Josh Downs.

  • Should I drop Josh Downs for Ladd McConkey?

    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 Ladd McConkey 88 (9.8 a game over 9 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 9 the call starts Ladd McConkey over Josh Downs.

Should I drop Josh Downs?

Week 9 on the board

Elsewhere on the board