Who Should I Start? Justin Jefferson or Rashid Shaheed

Wednesday, January 28, 1:24 PM

Although Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the sixth straight season in the NFL in 2025, he was a massive disappointment for fantasy football managers. Jefferson was a top-10 fantasy selection in most fantasy drafts last year, but he finished as only the WR25 in half-PPR scoring. The difference in 2025 was his lack of chemistry with young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who played in only 10 games due to injuries. When McCarthy was on the field, he didn't show much chemistry with Jefferson and was way too inconsistent accuracy-wise. Jefferson caught 84 passes, which was his lowest total in six seasons, other than when he had 68 receptions in an injury-plagued 2023 season. His two touchdowns and 1,048 receiving yards were both career lows. Jefferson remains an elite fantasy wideout talent-wise, but he's going to drop in the 2026 rankings a bit until he and McCarthy can develop a more consistent connection.

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.