Who Should I Start? DeVonta Smith or Khalil Shakir


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
13.4 0.1 0.0 4.8 63.7 0.4

DeVonta Smith News

DeVonta Smith Taking on WR1 Responsibilities in 2026

Saturday, August 29, 8:20 PM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith will occupy a much bigger role this season following the departure of former teammate A.J. Brown via trade. Smith has been a top-20 fantasy receiver in three of his last four seasons, including a finish as the overall WR20 in PPR leagues last year. He was healthy for all 17 games in 2025, catching 77 passes for 1,008 yards and a career-low four touchdowns. We're not expecting a major bump in touchdowns since the Eagles like to run the ball around the goal line, but Smith certainly should earn more targets, catches, and yards with Brown gone. Plus, as one of the most talented No. 2 receivers in years past, Smith should have no trouble adapting to the No. 1 role, even though it means he'll be going up against other teams' top cornerbacks. Smith has jumped to WR13 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings, and he currently has an ADP of 32.1 (WR14).


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
9.8 0.5 0.0 4.0 44.6 0.2

Khalil Shakir News

Khalil Shakir Sitting With Undisclosed Injury

Thursday, August 27, 2:42 PM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (undisclosed) is in street clothes during pregame warmups and will not play in Thursday night's preseason finale against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Alex Brasky of Sports Illustrated. Shakir has been out for the past week at training camp with an undisclosed injury, and he will now sit out the preseason finale on Thursday. The 26-year-old's injury is not believed to be serious, though, so he should rejoin the team at practice next week and be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Houston Texans. In his fourth year in the NFL in 2025, Shakir took a slight step back, catching 72 of his 95 targets for 719 yards and four touchdowns in 16 regular-season games for Buffalo as one of quarterback Josh Allen's top targets. Shakir's 76-821-4 line in 2024 may be his ceiling in fantasy, which could especially be true after the team added receiver DJ Moore to the mix this offseason. The former fifth-rounder in 2022 from Boise State has seen his stock fall going into the 2026 campaign, and RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 54 fantasy pass-catcher.


DeVonta Smith vs. Khalil Shakir

Still trying to decide between Smith and Shakir? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that DeVonta Smith is projected to score 13.4 points this week while Khalil Shakir is projected to score 9.8 points.