Who Should I Start? Michael Pittman Jr. or Khalil Shakir

Tuesday, August 19, 3:06 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. (undisclosed) and Josh Downs (hamstring) are both out of training camp practice on Tuesday, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. Pittman appears to be dealing with a minor undisclosed ailment after making his preseason debut on Saturday against the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, Downs has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in last Thursday's practice. Pittman should be good to go by the Week 1 regular-season opener, but Downs' timeline is a little more unclear. Indy's announcement on Tuesday that Daniel Jones will open the year as the starting QB is good news for all of the Colts' pass-catchers. Pittman had 808 receiving yards and only three touchdowns on 69 catches last year and will face more competition for targets from Downs, Adonai Mitchell and rookie tight end Tyler Warren.

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.