Khalil Shakir vs Tetairoa McMillan: Who Should You Start?
If you are choosing between Khalil Shakir and Tetairoa McMillan for your lineup, you are not alone. Khalil Shakir finished the 2025 season at 8.1 PPG for the Buffalo Bills (16 games), and Tetairoa McMillan averaged 10.4 for the Carolina Panthers (17 games).
That 2.3-point weekly advantage for Tetairoa McMillan is meaningful but not automatic. Fantasy football is a week-to-week sport, and the answer to "who should I start" often changes based on opponent, recent form, and game environment. Season averages set the baseline; weekly context makes the call.
Target volume is the story here. Tetairoa McMillan saw 122 targets in 2025, while Khalil Shakir drew 95. That workload gap usually translates into a higher weekly floor for Tetairoa McMillan, even in weeks where Khalil Shakir posts the bigger ceiling game. Consistency-minded managers lean toward target share; boom-bust managers chase the upside.
Bye weeks matter for roster construction: Khalil Shakir sits Week 12 while Tetairoa McMillan is off Week 11. If you are deciding between the two as a season-long roster hold, the staggered byes actually work in your favor.
