Who Should I Start? Nick Westbrook-Ikhine or Khalil Shakir

Saturday, October 18, 6:14 AM

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has seen his snap share spike the last two weeks since the Tyreek Hill (knee) injury, but he has turned in no fantasy production as a result. As the Dolphins face the Browns this week, NWI will look to get involved in the offense after totaling just one catch over the last four weeks. Westbrook-Ikhine has become the team's third receiver over the last two weeks, playing 71% of snaps against the Panthers and 63% of the snaps against the Chargers. However, he has just one target and no catches despite being on the field for 76 plays. He has the potential to contribute since he's getting playing time, but the fact that Tua Tagovailoa doesn't throw the ball his way keeps him well off the fantasy radar this week in Cleveland, where he is the WR86 in RotoBaller's Week 7 rankings.

Tuesday, October 21, 7:55 PM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir broke out in his third year in the league in 2024 with career-highs across the board in catches (76), targets (100), and receiving yards (821), but it came with only four touchdowns in 15 regular-season games (nine starts). Going into Buffalo's Week 7 bye, Shakir had 25 receptions on 34 targets for 268 yards and two touchdowns in six games. He scored in back-to-back games in Weeks 3 and 4, but he has not exceeded 70 receiving yards in a contest this year, while the Bills continue to spread the ball around in the passing attack. In half-PPR scoring, Shakir is just inside the top 50 wideouts with 8.6 points per game. Although the 25-year-old is one of the top wideouts in the Bills' offense, he's not a great fit in an offense that relies on power more than anything, and he's rarely targeted in the red zone. Fantasy managers might want to expect another quiet game this Sunday against a Carolina Panthers defense that has been much-improved in 2025 against the pass.