RADIO
Josh Downs start 'em, sit 'em fantasy football picks for Week 1 of 2025. Should you start or sit Josh Downs for fantasy football lineups in Week 1?
BALLER MOVE: Start in 12+ team leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: Upside WR3
ANALYSIS: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs has flashed immense upside at times during his career, but has seen his potential capped due to subpar quarterback play. During his rookie season in 2023, Downs totaled 771 yards and two scores on 68 receptions. In 2204, Downs took a step forward, racking up 803 yards and five touchdowns on 72 catches.
However, when playing with Anthony Richardson Sr., Downs was tough to trust as the Florida signal caller often struggled with his accuracy. However, when Joe Flacco took over starting duties in Indianapolis last season, Downs emerged as a must-start option in all leagues.
With Daniel Jones winning the QB1 job in Indianapolis in training camp, Downs possesses intriguing upside at least early in the season. Despite Jones leading the Giants to a disappointing record in 2024, Jones supported a WR1 campaign by rookie Malik Nabers.
While Downs may not have the elite playmaking ability that Nabers has, Downs has shown he can earn a heavy target share and produce after the catch.
Facing a weak Miami secondary, Downs is a must-start WR3 in all 12+ team leagues in Week 1. If he can command a higher target share than his fellow pass catchers, Michael Pittman Jr. and Tyler Warren, Downs could enter Week 2 as a locked-in WR2.
Josh Downs Being Targeted "A Lot" https://t.co/dpFPixCg6J
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 4, 2025
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Josh Downs. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 1. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Josh Downs. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 1.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 1 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Josh Downs compared to others:
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