Who Should I Start? Khalil Shakir or Zay Flowers

Friday, September 5, 1:27 PM

After the departure of Stefon Diggs, Khalil Shakir took over as the Buffalo Bills' No. 1 wide receiver in 2024. The slot standout led the team in catches (76), targets (100), and yards (821) while finishing with four touchdowns over 15 games last year. Shakir is the favorite to serve as quarterback Josh Allen's top target again this season, which begins Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. The 6-foot, 190-pounder took on Baltimore twice last year and combined for 10 grabs on 13 targets, 129 yards, and no TDs, though an ankle injury cut his first meeting with the Ravens short. More recently, Shakir dealt with a high-ankle sprain throughout August, but he has been a full go in practice since Wednesday and should play a prominent role on Sunday. Baltimore has a strong secondary on paper, and both a lack of TDs (seven in three years) and a lack of usage in two-WR sets could continue to limit Shakir's upside. Nevertheless, Shakir is a sure-handed pass catcher who totaled six-plus receptions 10 times last season (including all three playoff games), and Allen figures to look in his direction often on Sunday.

Wednesday, July 30, 3:58 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (knee/leg) did not practice on Wednesday, but head coach John Harbaugh said the Pro Bowl wideout had "camp-like" stuff pop up and will get a day or a few days off. It sounds like Flowers is dealing with a minor ailment, so fantasy managers should not be concerned at this point. In his second NFL season last year, Flowers secured 74 of his 116 targets for 1,059 yards and four touchdowns. The former first-round pick out of Boston College has been excellent to start his NFL career, but high-end WR1 upside for fantasy football is likely out of reach thanks to the Ravens' dominance on the ground. Either way, he's a solid WR2/3 or flex option and has the big-play ability to produce spike weeks. His competition for targets in the wide receiver room remains weak entering 2025.