Who Should I Start? Khalil Shakir or Josh Downs

Tuesday, January 13, 6:48 PM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir was one of the stars of his team's Wild Card Weekend win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, recording 12 receptions for 82 yards on 12 targets. On a day when no other Buffalo pass-catcher earned more than five targets, Shakir proved he has earned the trust of Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Heading into the team's Divisional round matchup against the Denver Broncos, Allen may be forced to lean on Shakir even more heavily. Buffalo wide receivers Gabe Davis (knee) and Tyrell Shavers (knee) both suffered season-ending knee injuries during the game against Jacksonville, further depleting an already undermanned Bills' wide receiver corps. Outside of Shakir, Buffalo will likely be relying on wideouts Keon Coleman and Brandin Cooks, both of whom recorded fewer than 40 receptions during the regular season. Even in a tough matchup against Denver, Shakir profiles as a high-floor wide receiver option for fantasy managers given his high likelihood for significant target volume.

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.