The Chiefs are acquiring WR Josh Downs from the Colts. They're sending fourth- and fifth-round picks in 2027 to Indy for Downs and a 2027 seventh-rounder. The Colts portion of Downs' season ends with him ranking third in targets per game (6.3 per game) and catches per game (3.7) while tying TE Tyler Warren at 39.3 yards per game. He finished each of his final three Indy contests with 24 yards or less.
How Does Downs Fit with New Team?
The Chiefs obviously got Downs to deploy him among their top three at the position, but the fit isn't obvious.
He has run primarily from the slot, lining up there on 79.2% of career pass snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. That number has dipped slightly over the past two years:
- 2024: 84.5%
- 2025: 78.8%
- 2026: 70.0%
That's the same role that Rashee Rice has occupied for 50.7% of his pass snaps across four seasons with the Chiefs. But the gap between those rates could be the key.
Andy Reid has typically moved his receivers around the formation more than most coaches. So expect Rice to stay around the same alignment splits while Downs sees less slot time than he has in the past.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: Rice + Downs Might Work
Downs has spent a bit more time outside this season than in the past, but he hasn't taken to it particularly well. Per Fantasy Points Data:
| Alignment | Yds/Rte | League Avg |
| Wide | 0.85 | 1.64 |
| Slot | 1.35 | 1.45 |
Rice, on the other hand, has produced well in both areas:
| Alignment | Yds/Rte | League Avg |
| Wide | 2.70 | 1.64 |
| Slot | 1.75 | 1.45 |
That break down suggests the Chiefs might even benefit from running Downs in the slot more frequently than Rice.
Of course, the ex-Colt should get a boost in efficiency from swapping Daniel Jones for Patrick Mahomes.
We'll ultimately bet on Downs improving his numbers in Kansas City, but his fantasy ceiling's likely capped in WR3 range barring injury to Rice.
We're also not going to significantly penalize Rice for this arrival until/unless Downs proves we should. The former Colt has some proving to do after two straight seasons of less than 4.0 catches and 40.0 yards per game.
Xavier Worthy the Biggest Loser
Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy has already seen his fortunes shift on Rice's availability.
Worthy has seen 22.7% target share in the three games Rice missed or barely played vs. 17.1% in five full Rice outings.
Worthy's results through two and a half pro seasons don't suggest he'll fare well at earning targets in the more crowded WR corps. He looks like a WR5 the rest of the way.
Anything Left in Indy?
Not much. The Keenan Allen trade preceded Downs' departure, leaving Warren as the only proven Colts target remaining.
WR Alec Pierce should return soon. We'll see how healthy he is once that actually happens.
Otherwise, it's Laquon Treadwell, Deion Burks, Anthony Gould, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Here's hoping you don't need to consider using any of them.
