2025 Receiving Stats
REC
20
YDS
175
TD
0
AVG
8.8
TAR
27
Rest-of-Season Projections
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Downs enjoyed a breakout of sorts in 2024, his second pro campaign, finishing with more targets, catches, yards and touchdowns than he had the year before as a rookie, despite playing three fewer games. He spent most of his time in the slot again, perhaps limited by a 5-foot-9, 171-pound frame, yet averaged a respectable 11.2 yards per catch and scored three of his five TDs from outside the red zone. What the full-season numbers don't show is how Downs piled up volume with Joe Flacco at QB, drawing nine-plus targets in six of the seven games in which Flacco took a majority of snaps (and averaging 7.3 catches in those contests). In the seven full games Downs and QB Anthony Richardson played together, Downs reached nine targets just once and never caught more than five passes. The big question now is whether Richardson can win a job battle with Daniel Jones, who wouldn't necessarily help the Colts win games but likely would be better for Downs' fantasy value. A lack of size and average straight-line speed (4.48 40) further limit Downs' ceiling, especially in non-PPR leagues, but it was encouraging to see him earn targets ahead of fellow Colts wideouts Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell for much of last season. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Six catches in Week 5 win
Downs brought in six of eight targets for 54 yards in the Colts' 40-6 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
ANALYSIS
On a day when Daniel Jones spread the ball around in customary fashion, Downs' six receptions qualified as a team-high figure. The third-year wideout's yardage tally was also a new season high, although as his 9.0 yards per reception corroborates, Downs continues to be utilized almost exclusively in a short-area role. While his upside remains capped as a result, Downs particularly holds appeal in PPR formats heading into a Week 6 home matchup against the Cardinals next Sunday afternoon.
On a day when Daniel Jones spread the ball around in customary fashion, Downs' six receptions qualified as a team-high figure. The third-year wideout's yardage tally was also a new season high, although as his 9.0 yards per reception corroborates, Downs continues to be utilized almost exclusively in a short-area role. While his upside remains capped as a result, Downs particularly holds appeal in PPR formats heading into a Week 6 home matchup against the Cardinals next Sunday afternoon.
NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Josh Downs' 2025 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank.
The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Air Yards Per Game
40.6Air Yards Per Snap
1.17% Team Air Yards
16.2%% Team Targets
18.0%Avg Depth of Target
7.5 YdsCatch Rate
74.1%Drop Rate
0.0%Avg Yds After Catch
2.3% Targeted On Route
22.9%Avg Yds Per Route Run
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2025 NFL Game Log
2025
2024
2023
2025 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Josh Downs lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
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This Week's Opposing Pass Defense
How does the Cardinals pass defense compare to other NFL teams this season?
The bars represents the team's percentile rank (based on QB Rating Against). The longer the bar, the better their pass defense is. The team and position group ratings only include players that are currently on the roster and not on injured reserve. The list of players in the table only includes defenders with at least 3 attempts against them.
vs Cardinals
Sunday, Oct 12th at 1:00PM
Overall QB Rating Against
70.6
Cornerbacks
84.2
Safeties
51.6
Linebackers
79.6
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2025 Josh Downs Split Stats
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Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do Josh Downs' measurables compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
5' 9"Weight
171 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.48 secVertical Jump
38.5 inBroad Jump
131 inHand Length
9.25 inArm Length
30.38 inPast Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
Downs lasted until pick 79 of the 2023 NFL Draft, with massive usage his final two seasons at North Carolina (195 catches for 2,364 yards and 19 TDs) balanced out by an underwhelming physical profile (4.48-second 40-yard dash time at 5-foot-9, 171 pounds). Fortunately for Downs, he's playing in an era where tough legislation of defensive penalties and trends favoring quick passes have helped many undersized receivers find success. He might just be the latest case, especially if one assumes that a mid-season knee injury held him back in the second half of his rookie campaign. Downs averaged 5.3 catches for 63.3 yards on 7.0 targets over his first eight games, before hurting his knee and playing just 26 totals snaps Weeks 9 and 10. He never missed a contest but averaged just 3.6 catches for 35.4 yards on 5.4 targets in seven games after a Week 11 bye. Downs took at least 64 percent of his snaps from the slot in all 17 games, and his 601 routes ranked 13th among wideouts (teammates Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman were eighth and 12th, respectively). Over the first eight weeks, Downs was targeted on 17.8 percent of routes and produced 1.50 yards per route run -- mediocre by starting-wideout standards but pretty good for a 22-year-old. Over the final seven weeks, Downs plunged to a 14.4 percent target rate and 0.94 YPRR. Pittman, meanwhile, was at 27.5 percent and 2.25 YPRR over the same stretch, unencumbered by quarterback Gardner Minshew's mediocrity. The Colts have huge hopes for Anthony Richardson in 2024, but even if he pans out, it won't necessarily boost the cumulative receiving production. After all, an offense with Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor both healthy would likely rank near the top of the league in rush attempts and run rate near the goal line. Downs thus faces a tricky breakout path even though he appears locked in as a starter, and he won't be helped by the fact that he's recovering from a high-ankle sprain, which could threaten his availability for Week 1.
More Fantasy News
Four receptions in loss
Downs had four receptions for 24 yards on five targets in Sunday's loss at the Rams.
ANALYSIS
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Peripheral role in win
Downs recorded two catches on three targets for 34 yards in Sunday's 41-20 win over the Titans.
ANALYSIS
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Logs full practice
Downs (ankle) returned to a full practice Thursday.
ANALYSIS
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Returns to practice
Downs (ankle) returned to practice Thursday, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Not practicing due to ankle injury
Downs (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Expected to practice before Week 1
Coach Shane Steichen expects Downs to return to practice prior to the start of the regular season, per Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.
ANALYSIS
Downs hasn't participated in practice since suffering a hamstring injury Aug. 14. He's running out of time to ramp up activity before the Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Dolphins, though Downs could still gain clearance to play if he returns when the calendar flips to September as Steichen suggests. If Downs isn't ready to play Week 1, Adonai Mitchell would likely play in three-receiver sets alongside Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce.
Downs hasn't participated in practice since suffering a hamstring injury Aug. 14. He's running out of time to ramp up activity before the Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Dolphins, though Downs could still gain clearance to play if he returns when the calendar flips to September as Steichen suggests. If Downs isn't ready to play Week 1, Adonai Mitchell would likely play in three-receiver sets alongside Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce.