Start Tee Higgins or Josh Downs? Week 8

Updated Oct 27, 11:56 AM ET. Locks at kickoff, graded after. Week 9 answer posts Tuesday.

Start Tee Higgins over Josh Downs

Start

Tee Higgins

WR · CIN · vs TEN

Market projects: 12.8; recent weeks avg
TEN D vs WR: 35.8; 8th most to WRs (2026)
Upside: High; 96 of 100 at WR
Snap share: 78%; 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 Tee Higgins?

Yes, on the rest of the season. Tee Higgins projects 130 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (13.0 a game over 10 games), Josh Downs 105 (11.7 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts Tee Higgins over Josh Downs.

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Our Week 8 call

Start Tee Higgins over Josh Downs in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Tee Higgins at 12.8 points and Josh Downs at 11.7, a gap of 1.1. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. No player market is posted for Tee Higgins this week yet, so his 12.8 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5 and 7 (11.6 and 14.1); 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 Tee Higgins at ADP 37 and Josh Downs at 96.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Tee Higgins yet. His market-based projections were 11.6 and 14.1 points in Weeks 5 and 7, an average of 12.8, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

The market-based projection for Tee Higgins is 0.7 touchdowns (7 market sources).

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 Tee Higgins 1.1 points ahead of Josh Downs on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Tee Higgins and CIN host TEN on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

TEN allowed 35.8 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 8th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 176 yards and 0.6 touchdowns a game against TEN.

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

Tee Higgins is not on the injury report.

Josh Downs is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, Tee Higgins played 78 percent of CIN snaps, drew 23 percent of the targets, earned 45 percent of the air yards and had 5 percent of the red zone chances.

Tee Higgins, Week 3 against PIT: 53 of 57 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 90 yards, 1 touchdown.

Tee Higgins, Week 4 against JAX: 60 of 76 snaps, 16 targets and 11 catches for 157 yards.

Tee Higgins, Week 5 against MIA: 45 of 65 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 22 yards.

Tee Higgins, Week 7 against BAL: 46 of 53 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 148 yards, 1 touchdown.

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, Tee Higgins played 15 games for CIN and scored 211.6 PPR points, 14.1 a game, finishing WR15.

He caught 59 of 98 targets for 846 yards and 11 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets and 680 air yards.

He was on the field for 80 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 Tee Higgins?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Tee Higgins projects 130 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (13.0 a game over 10 games), Josh Downs 105 (11.7 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts Tee Higgins over Josh Downs.
Should I drop Tee Higgins for Josh Downs?
No. Keep Tee Higgins: he projects 130 market-implied PPR points from Week 8 through Week 17 (13.0 a game over 10 games), Josh Downs 105 (11.7 a game over 9 games). For Week 8 the call starts Tee Higgins over Josh Downs.

Should I drop Josh Downs?