Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Rashid Shaheed

Wednesday, July 9, 3:34 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk was dealt from the division rival Jacksonville Jaguars for a late-round NFL Draft pick this offseason. The 28-year-old had a fantastic first season with Jacksonville in 2022, but injuries and offensive woes limited his production in 2023 and 2024. Last year, he tallied just 27 receptions for 379 yards and one score in eight games while Brian Thomas Jr. took over the WR1 role. Now in Houston, he is seemingly competing with rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel for the WR2 job behind Nico Collins. ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime believes Kirk might be the favorite to win that job. "The best way to step into the No. 2 or No. 3 role is building chemistry with CJ.. Stroud," Bien-Aime wrote. "And Kirk looked like a potential safety blanket for the third-year signal-caller." While this is promising for Kirk's fantasy prospects, the veteran has eclipsed 800 yards in just two of his seven NFL campaigns, and Houston's acquisitions of Higgins and Noel could suggest they were not comfortable with Kirk in the clear WR2 role. That said, his cost in drafts outside the top 50 WRs makes him an interesting dart throw in all formats.

Wednesday, July 30, 11:10 AM

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed is playing through physical coverage in training camp practices so far, according to Jeff Nowak of Audacy Sports. Nowak notes that this has been a clear area of improvement for the fourth-year receiver since he entered the league in 2022. Once known exclusively as a downfield deep-ball threat, Shaheed was showing signs of becoming a more complete receiver in 2024 before tearing his meniscus in Week 6 and missing the remainder of the season. In the six games he played, Shaheed caught 20 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns, averaging an impressive 2.25 yards-per-route-run. The Saints' question marks at quarterback hold down his fantasy value, but Shaheed is an intriguing late-round dart throw who could be on the verge of a breakout in his age-27 season.