Who Should I Start? Josh Downs or Rashid Shaheed

Thursday, January 29, 5:39 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs followed up a solid second season in the NFL with his worst yet in Year 3. Downs had career-lows in receptions (58), targets (88), and receiving yards (566) while scoring four touchdowns in 16 games played. The 24-year-old pass-catcher also had a career-low 9.8 yards per catch as he operated as the team's No. 3 receiver behind Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman Jr. Even with quarterback Daniel Jones having a career resurgence before his season-ending torn Achilles tendon in the second half, Downs was unable to take advantage. He never clicked with Jones in the passing attack, and it didn't help that rookie tight end Tyler Warren caught 76 passes for 817 yards. Unless Indy releases Pittman this offseason to give Downs a clearer path to consistent targets, he won't be much more than a late-round dart throw with limited upside in 2026 fantasy drafts.

Sunday, February 15, 4:41 AM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed proved to be a valuable contributor down the stretch, ultimately helping his team get in position to win Super Bowl LX. Shaheed opened the year with the New Orleans Saints, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2022, but was dealt to the Seahawks at the 2025 trade deadline. He stepped into a share of the No. 2 role alongside Cooper Kupp, and the two paired their respective playing skills with the elite productivity of No. 1 receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Shaheed finished the year with 687 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 59 catches, ranking as the overall WR39 in full-PPR leagues. His fantasy stock was boosted a bit by punt and kick return yards, although he didn't score a special teams touchdown in the regular season. All in all, Shaheed's big-play upside left him in a boom-or-bust pattern of performances. He had six games with fewer than 5.0 points in full-PPR leagues, but he also had six games with at least 11.8 points. Shaheed is a free agent this offseason, and while a Seattle return seems quite possible, we'd expect him to remain a boom-or-bust wherever he ends up. He'll likely be a fringe top-50 fantasy receiver entering 2026 fantasy football drafts.