Who Should I Start? Adam Thielen or Khalil Shakir

Friday, May 2, 12:02 PM

Carolina Panthers veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen said that he talked with his family, and they wanted him to play in 2025. He plans to go through a similar process after this season, which is the final year of his contract. Depending on how the 34-year-old feels and what his family thinks after the 2025 campaign, Thielen could hang up his cleats and retire. He's returning for a third season in Carolina after playing in a career-low 10 games in 2024 due to a hamstring injury. In those 10 games, he caught 48 of his 62 targets for 615 yards and five touchdowns. He should continue to be a trusted weapon for young quarterback Bryce Young out of the slot this year, but the addition of first-round rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan will surely make Thielen harder to trust as a WR3/flex in fantasy based on volume alone like he was in 2023, when he recorded the third 1,000-yard season of his career on 103 targets.

Tuesday, February 25, 1:32 PM

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Buffalo Bills and wide receiver Khalil Shakir agreed to four-year contract extension on Tuesday that is worth up to $60.2 million, including $32 million guaranteed at signing with $18 million paid in the first 12 months. The new deal ties Shakir to Buffalo through the 2029 season. After the Bills traded Stefon Diggs away and let Gabe Davis walk in free agency last offseason, Shakir stepped up as Buffalo's No. 1 wideout to lead the team with 100 targets, 76 catches and 821 yards while scoring four touchdowns in 15 regular-season games (nine starts). The 25-year-old slot man also had six catches in each of the team's three playoff games. He's now locked in with the Bills for the foreseeable future and should continue to be quarterback Josh Allen's favorite weapon in the passing game with a solid floor for fantasy.