Start Rome Odunze or Josh Downs? Week 7

Updated Oct 21, 3:11 PM ET. Locks at kickoff, graded after. Week 8 answer posts Tuesday.

Odunze projects lower, 10.4 to 13.5, and still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player: ADP 54 for Odunze, 96 for Downs.

Start

Rome Odunze

WR · CHI · vs NE

Market projects: 10.4; fantasy pts
NE D vs WR: 31.7; 16th fewest to WRs (2026)
Upside: Rising; 76 of 100 at WR
Snap share: 83%; Through Week 6
Target share: 17%; Through Week 6

Sit

Josh Downs

WR · IND · at MIN

Market projects: 13.5; recent weeks avg
MIN D vs WR: 27.1; 5th fewest to WRs (2026)
Upside: Limited; 36 of 100 at WR
Snap share: 81%; Through Week 6
Target share: 21%; Through Week 6

Should I drop Rome Odunze for Josh Downs?

Yes, on the rest of the season. Josh Downs projects 117 market-implied PPR points from Week 7 through Week 17 (11.7 a game over 10 games), Rome Odunze 93 (9.3 a game over 10 games). For Week 7 the call starts Rome Odunze over Josh Downs. So make the move after his Week 7 game.

Parlae may earn a commission from price links.

Josh Downs rookie cards

Make this call for your own roster

Sync your league and My Team sets this week's lineup for your actual roster, spot by spot. Free, no account.

Sync my league

Sleeper ESPN Yahoo

Or get it by email

Tuesday 8am ET: one email with what moved on the board and who is worth a claim.

Free. One a week, one tap to stop.

Our Week 7 call

Start Rome Odunze over Josh Downs in Week 7.

Market-based projections have Rome Odunze at 10.4 points and Josh Downs at 13.5, a gap of 3.1. Rome Odunze still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player, ADP 54 against 96, and that outweighs a gap this size. No player market is posted for Josh Downs this week yet, so his 13.5 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 4, 5 and 6 (16.3, 12.0 and 12.3); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 7 player market is posted for Josh Downs yet. His market-based projections were 16.3, 12.0 and 12.3 points in Weeks 4, 5 and 6, an average of 13.5, which stands in until his Week 7 market posts.

The market-based projection for Josh Downs is 0.2 touchdowns (10 market sources).

Player markets imply 10.4 fantasy points for Rome Odunze, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Rome Odunze is 46 receiving yards, 3-4 receptions and 0.4 touchdowns (12, 11 and 13 market sources).

That puts Josh Downs 3.1 points ahead of Rome Odunze on these projections.

Week 7 matchups

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

MIN allowed 27.1 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 5 games, the 5th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 133 yards and 0.6 touchdowns a game against MIN.

Rome Odunze and CHI host NE on Thursday at 8:15 PM ET.

NE allowed 31.7 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 16th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 142 yards and a touchdown a game against NE.

By points allowed to the position, Rome Odunze has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Josh Downs is not on the injury report.

Rome Odunze is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 7

Through Week 6, Josh Downs played 81 percent of IND snaps, drew 21 percent of the targets, earned 26 percent of the air yards and had 11 percent of the red zone chances.

Josh Downs, Week 3 against HOU: 48 of 71 snaps, 11 targets and 5 catches for 77 yards.

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.

Through Week 6, Rome Odunze played 83 percent of CHI snaps, drew 17 percent of the targets, earned 32 percent of the air yards and had 4 percent of the red zone chances.

Rome Odunze, Week 3 against PHI: 61 of 72 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 44 yards.

Rome Odunze, Week 4 against NYJ: 83 of 93 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 94 yards.

Rome Odunze, Week 5 against GB: 68 of 69 snaps, 9 targets and 3 catches for 40 yards.

Rome Odunze, Week 6 against ATL: 74 of 77 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 39 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, Rome Odunze played 12 games for CHI and scored 146.1 PPR points, 12.2 a game, finishing WR41.

He caught 44 of 90 targets for 661 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 12 red zone targets and 447 air yards.

He was on the field for 82 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 7 calls

Locks at kickoff, graded after. When the start/sit engine grades week 7, the call and the result appear on the public record, wrong ones included.

Drop or keep

Should I drop Rome Odunze for Josh Downs?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Josh Downs projects 117 market-implied PPR points from Week 7 through Week 17 (11.7 a game over 10 games), Rome Odunze 93 (9.3 a game over 10 games). For Week 7 the call starts Rome Odunze over Josh Downs. So make the move after his Week 7 game.
Should I drop Josh Downs for Rome Odunze?
No. Keep Josh Downs: he projects 117 market-implied PPR points from Week 7 through Week 17 (11.7 a game over 10 games), Rome Odunze 93 (9.3 a game over 10 games). For Week 7 the call starts Rome Odunze over Josh Downs.