Justin Jefferson vs Khalil Shakir: Who Should You Start?
The gap between Justin Jefferson and Khalil Shakir is smaller than most fantasy managers think. Separated by just 1.3 PPG in 2025, this is one of those wide receiver decisions that comes down to context, not name recognition. Justin Jefferson averaged 9.4 PPG with the Minnesota Vikings across 17 games, and Khalil Shakir posted 8.1 with the Buffalo Bills in 16.
When two wide receivers are separated by less than two points per game, the decision shifts to weekly context. Who has the softer defense? Who is trending up over the last month? Which team is projected for more total points? Those are the tiebreakers that actually matter.
Target volume is the story here. Justin Jefferson saw 141 targets in 2025, while Khalil Shakir drew 95. That workload gap usually translates into a higher weekly floor for Justin Jefferson, even in weeks where Khalil Shakir posts the bigger ceiling game. Consistency-minded managers lean toward target share; boom-bust managers chase the upside.
Justin Jefferson has his bye in Week 6, and Khalil Shakir rests in Week 12. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at wide receiver for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
