Start Josh Downs or Quentin Johnston? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Quentin Johnston over Josh Downs in Week 1.

Josh Downs is priced by the books at 3.0 projected points and Quentin Johnston is not priced at all, so we are leaning on where drafters take them. Drafters take Quentin Johnston at ADP 90 and Josh Downs at 93.

What the books imply

No sportsbook posted a player market for Quentin Johnston in Week 1.

Player prop markets imply 3.0 fantasy points for Josh Downs, with 30 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

Week 1 matchups

Quentin Johnston and LAC host ARI.

ARI allowed 27.9 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 16th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 119 yards and a touchdown against ARI.

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

BAL allowed 25.0 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 12th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 130 yards and no touchdowns against BAL.

By points allowed to the position, Quentin Johnston has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Quentin Johnston was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Josh Downs was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Quentin Johnston played 14 games for LAC and scored 171.2 PPR points, 12.2 a game, finishing WR34.

He caught 51 of 85 targets for 735 yards and 8 touchdowns, with 15 red zone targets and 514 air yards.

He was on the field for 77 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Quentin Johnston, Week 17 of 2025 against HOU: 47 of 63 snaps, 8 targets and 5 catches for 98 yards, 14.8 PPR points.

Quentin Johnston, Week 16 of 2025 against DAL: 37 of 64 snaps, 5 targets and 4 catches for 104 yards, 1 touchdown, 20.4 PPR points.

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.

Josh Downs, Week 18 of 2025 against HOU: 1 carry for -5 yards, 4 targets and 4 catches for 61 yards, 9.6 PPR points.

Josh Downs, Week 17 of 2025 against JAX: 35 of 57 snaps, 5 targets and 2 catches for 34 yards, 5.4 PPR points.

Josh Downs, Week 16 of 2025 against SF: 47 of 60 snaps, 1 carry for 3 yards, 9 targets and 5 catches for 65 yards, 11.8 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

Quentin Johnston scored 3.7 PPR points and Josh Downs scored 5.7.

The call was wrong: Josh Downs outscored Quentin Johnston by 2.0.

Quentin Johnston, Week 1 against ARI: 43 of 55 snaps, 6 targets and 2 catches for 17 yards, 3.7 PPR points.

Quentin Johnston finished as the week's WR82 in PPR scoring.

Josh Downs finished 2.7 points above the 3.0 the props implied.

Josh Downs, Week 1 against BAL: 48 of 54 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 37 yards, 5.7 PPR points.

Josh Downs finished as the week's WR65 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Brian Thomas Jr. over Quentin Johnston.
• Start Brian Thomas Jr. over Quentin Johnston.
• Start Quentin Johnston over Carnell Tate.
• Start Carnell Tate over Josh Downs.
• Start Chris Godwin Jr. over Josh Downs.
• Start Josh Downs over Jakobi Meyers.