Who to start in fantasy football with Colts' WR Josh Downs out

The Indianapolis Colts have ruled out wide receiver Josh Downs for their Week 7 matchup with the LA Chargers.

So if you have Downs on your fantasy team, who should you be looking to start in his place?

In terms of true slot options for the Colts, the next man up would be Anthony Gould. But my guess is that we don't see much of him on Sunday.

In games last season when the Colts were without Downs, it was a group effort to mitigate his absence in the slot.

In Weeks 1 and 2 of the 2024 season, when Downs was out, Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce, and AD Mitchell all had relatively equal slot opportunities. This season, you can also add Tyler Warren to that mix as well.

I also wouldn't be surprised if we see a heavy dose of two or even three tight end sets, which can leave two or fewer wide receivers on the field, as the Colts lean into the run game against this Chargers front.

So to answer the original question, there isn't one answer. Any of the players mentioned above could be options as they potentially see more targets while Downs is out. In terms of that slot-specific role, I would anticipate several different Colts pass catchers lining up inside.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Week 7 fantasy football: Who to start with Colts Josh Downs out