Who Should I Start? Khalil Shakir or Zay Flowers

Monday, July 28, 5:33 PM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir is looking to take the next step in 2025 after bursting onto the scene in 2024 with 76 catches, 821 receiving yards and four touchdowns during the regular season. Bills beat writer Maddy Glab says that this year, Shakir is looking to be quicker and to find new ways to separate from defensive backs. "First step quickness, always trying to improve on that," Shakir said of what he worked on this offseason. "Speed, just withholding speed for a certain amount of time and that quick burst, as well as separation. Just finding new ways and new releases to get open against man coverage." The 25-year-old had a high target share and plenty of yards after the catch, but the Bills spread the ball around too much to make him anything more than a WR3/flex. It's likely to continue, and his lack of red-zone usage makes Shakir a low-ceiling WR4/flex target.

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.