Who Should I Start? Van Jefferson or Khalil Shakir

Saturday, August 23, 10:31 AM

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Van Jefferson recorded 102 yards and a touchdown on three catches in his team's 23-13 preseason victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Friday. Jefferson scored a 65-yard touchdown on a long catch-and-run in the second quarter. The 29-year-old is entering his first season in Tennessee after logging 24 catches for 276 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. Jefferson projects to open the season as the WR3 in Tennessee alongside veterans Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett. However, he may struggle to hold off the team's pair of fourth-round rookie wide receivers, Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike. Jefferson should be off the radar of fantasy managers in 2025.

Wednesday, August 27, 6:06 PM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (ankle) returned to practice on Monday for the first time since suffering a right high-ankle sprain in early August, according to Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News. Shakir was most likely limited on Wednesday, but the fact that he's back on the field this week bodes well for his availability for a Week 1 showdown against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Sept. 7. The 25-year-old had a breakout 2024 campaign, catching 76 of 100 targets for 821 yards and four touchdowns in 15 regular-season games (nine starts) in his third year in the league. However, with Buffalo expected to continue to spread the ball around and with second-year wideout Keon Coleman likely to have a bigger role, fantasy managers may not want to expect an improvement for Shakir in 2025. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 45 fantasy wideout.