When QB Anthony Richardson made the decision to undergo season-ending surgery, the Indianapolis Colts made backup Gardner Minshew their starting QB. A completely different type of QB than Richardson, fantasy football managers immediately saw the increase in usage for the pass catchers.
Rookie Josh Downs had a visible uptick in fantasy production. The speedster from North Carolina had his four best fantasy finishes in the four full games that Minshew has been under center. In Week 3, Downs finished as WR37, a considerable jump from WR66 the week before. Downs has had double-digit fantasy points in his last three games, with 125 receiving yards and one TD this week in a shootout against Cleveland.
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Should Josh Downs Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 8?
Downs is only 36% rostered on Yahoo and should be a priority add on the waiver wire in Week 8. He had the most targets today with six, which is more than the Colts’ WR1, Michael Pittman, and ran the second-most routes overall. Downs has become Minshew’s second read in an offense that has leaned into a new passing identity after losing their rushing QB.
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The Colts are now 3-4 in an AFC South that is closer than people would have thought, so we know that Indianapolis will continue to compete and put up points. Downs has a couple of subpar matchups coming up against New Orleans and Carolina, but Cleveland should have locked him down, and he had his best fantasy finish to date.
Snag Downs if you can, and you should feel comfortable starting him as your Flex. If he continues to improve, he could even become your WR2.
