Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Khalil Shakir

Friday, December 26, 9:03 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk is coming off one of his best games of the season last week against the Raiders, as the veteran played his most snaps (39) since Week 9 and had his most targets (5) since Week 12. He'll have a tougher matchup this week against the Chargers on Saturday and is a high-risk play for fantasy purposes since his role is still extremely shaky. He finishes second on the team in receiving yards and tied for second in targets last week, though, so it's possible he'll continue to trend up as the Texans continue their playoff push. Since he only has 25 catches for 241 yards and a touchdown this season, Kirk is a high-risk option in this tough matchup in Los Angeles, and he's just the No. 67 WR in RotoBaller's rankings. He can be left on the bench or waiver wire in most leagues, but it is worth monitoring his involvement to see if last week's performance was a matchup-based outlier or the start of a trend.

Saturday, December 27, 10:25 AM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir hauled in four of five targets for 34 yards in the 23-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Despite being the Bills' current WR1, Shakir has struggled over the last four weeks, averaging three receptions for 30 yards. He is averaging 10.5 PPR points per game, ranking WR42 (the second-lowest among WR1s in the NFL). He faces the Philadelphia Eagles, who have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to slot receivers this season. Second-year corner Cooper DeJean has been stellar this season, and fantasy managers should take notice before considering Shakir in their Week 17 starting lineups. While Josh Allen has been spectacular at home this season, given Shakir's recent struggles and a tough matchup, he is better off out of starting lineups on fantasy championship weekend.