JoshDowns

News: 10 hours agoDowns (shoulder) didn't participate in practice Thursday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Spin: On Wednesday, head coach Shane Steichen told Boyd that it will be "tough" for Downs to play Sunday against the Patriots, and the wideout's absence from practice Thursday supports that notion. Friday's injury report will reveal whether Downs heads into the weekend with any chance to be available versus New England, a context that also applies to fellow wideouts Alec Pierce (foot) and Ashton Dulin (ankle), who both were sidelined Thursday.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: In a modern NFL rife with three-receiver sets, being deemed a slot maven isn't nearly as limiting as it once was. Downs, for instance, enters his second season building on a strong rookie showing that included finishing seventh in total fantasy points among first-year receivers in what was a strong class for the position. Designation as a slot option doesn't disqualify Downs' potential to help fantasy managers at times in 2024, but it could signal a less exciting upper-end of outcomes. Three-quarters of his routes came from a slot alignment as a rookie, and it's likely we see similar deployment for the smaller receiver in his second campaign. With a limited ceiling and likely to miss a game or two early on due to injury, Downs can be targeted in the later rounds of drafts.