Who Should I Start? Stefon Diggs or Khalil Shakir

Wednesday, September 3, 7:31 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (knee), who is coming off a torn ACL suffered last year with the Houston Texans, is not listed on the team's initial injury report on Wednesday, confirming that he's on track to play in Week 1 on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Head coach Mike Vrabel also said on Tuesday that Diggs will "be out there" this weekend. It's great news for the Patriots offense and quarterback Drake Maye, who is heading into his first year as the full-time starter. Not only could the 31-year-old Diggs not be the same player coming off a torn ACL, but the Patriots' offense could have early-season growing pains with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels returning. The good news is he should operate as the WR1, but fantasy managers may want to temper expectations and treat him as a WR3/flex in Week 1.

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.