Who Should I Start? Puka Nacua or Rashid Shaheed

Tuesday, February 10, 9:22 AM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua finished as the WR1 in Half-PPR formats in 2025, and the 24-year-old wideout belongs in the conversation at the top of the position in dynasty startups. His 95.3 receiving yards per game since his record-breaking 2023 rookie campaign is the highest in NFL history, and with quarterback Matthew Stafford insinuating his return during NFL Honors, the Rams appear poised for another all-in title push in 2026. Nacua, Ja'Marr Chase, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba comprise the top tier at the position. While youth slightly favors Smith-Njigba, and long-term quarterback stability belongs to Chase, Nacua enters 2026 in the most favorable overall position and is the most likely to see his value rise throughout the season. While drafters can't go wrong with any of the three, Nacua makes sense at the top of the draft for those building both an instant contender or long-term juggernaut.

Sunday, February 15, 4:41 AM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed proved to be a valuable contributor down the stretch, ultimately helping his team get in position to win Super Bowl LX. Shaheed opened the year with the New Orleans Saints, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2022, but was dealt to the Seahawks at the 2025 trade deadline. He stepped into a share of the No. 2 role alongside Cooper Kupp, and the two paired their respective playing skills with the elite productivity of No. 1 receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Shaheed finished the year with 687 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 59 catches, ranking as the overall WR39 in full-PPR leagues. His fantasy stock was boosted a bit by punt and kick return yards, although he didn't score a special teams touchdown in the regular season. All in all, Shaheed's big-play upside left him in a boom-or-bust pattern of performances. He had six games with fewer than 5.0 points in full-PPR leagues, but he also had six games with at least 11.8 points. Shaheed is a free agent this offseason, and while a Seattle return seems quite possible, we'd expect him to remain a boom-or-bust wherever he ends up. He'll likely be a fringe top-50 fantasy receiver entering 2026 fantasy football drafts.