Courtland Sutton vs Josh Downs: Who Should You Start?
Two wide receivers who will land on plenty of the same rosters in 2026. Courtland Sutton (Denver Broncos) finished the 2025 season averaging 10.7 fantasy points per game in 17 games. Josh Downs (Indianapolis Colts) came in at 6.7 PPG over 16 games. The gap is real but not insurmountable with the right matchup.
Courtland Sutton carries a 4.0-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Target volume is the story here. Courtland Sutton saw 124 targets in 2025, while Josh Downs drew 88. That workload gap usually translates into a higher weekly floor for Courtland Sutton, even in weeks where Josh Downs posts the bigger ceiling game. Consistency-minded managers lean toward target share; boom-bust managers chase the upside.
One thing to note: both players share a Week 14 bye. That means you need a backup plan at wide receiver for that week, especially if one of these two is your starter.
