Josh Downs Fantasy Football Outlook (2026)

By Derek Brown (FantasyPros), Thu, Aug 13th 2026, 11:33am EDT

Josh Downs dealt with a hamstring issue to open last season, which could be a reason why he didn't eclipse a 60% snap share until Week 4. Downs' playing time was a rollercoaster the rest of the season as his snap rate dipped below 60% in five other weeks in the remainder of the season. Downs is expected to step into an elevated role in 2026 as he is supposed to play more on the perimeter after seeing only 65 routes as a boundary receiver last year (per Fantasy Points Data). The splits in the slot versus outside aren't in his favor. Last year, overall, he was 19th in separation score and 55th in route win rate, but when you look at him as a perimeter receiver, he drops to 52nd in separation and 84th in route win rate. On a per-route basis, among 109 qualifying receivers, he was 29th in target per route run rate, 66th in yards per route run, and 26th in first downs per route run. The Colts are painfully thin in the receiver room, so they need Alec Pierce and Josh Downs to step up for Daniel Jones. We'll see if it happens in 2026, but Downs is a solid late-round dart throw.