Who Should I Start? Calvin Ridley or Khalil Shakir

Thursday, October 23, 4:19 PM

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (hamstring) missed his second straight practice on Thursday due to a hamstring injury. The veteran wideout was sidelined in Week 7 because of the injury, and he appears to be at risk of missing Tennessee's Week 8 game against the Indianapolis Colts as well. Ridley has recorded 16 catches for 290 yards on 35 targets across six games played this season. If he's unable to play against Indianapolis, Titans wideouts Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, and Van Jefferson will likely handle the majority of the team's wide receiver snaps. Given that Ridley has yet to practice this week, fantasy managers should likely be operating under the assumption that he will miss a second straight game until proven otherwise.

Tuesday, October 21, 7:55 PM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir broke out in his third year in the league in 2024 with career-highs across the board in catches (76), targets (100), and receiving yards (821), but it came with only four touchdowns in 15 regular-season games (nine starts). Going into Buffalo's Week 7 bye, Shakir had 25 receptions on 34 targets for 268 yards and two touchdowns in six games. He scored in back-to-back games in Weeks 3 and 4, but he has not exceeded 70 receiving yards in a contest this year, while the Bills continue to spread the ball around in the passing attack. In half-PPR scoring, Shakir is just inside the top 50 wideouts with 8.6 points per game. Although the 25-year-old is one of the top wideouts in the Bills' offense, he's not a great fit in an offense that relies on power more than anything, and he's rarely targeted in the red zone. Fantasy managers might want to expect another quiet game this Sunday against a Carolina Panthers defense that has been much-improved in 2025 against the pass.