Start Khalil Shakir or Courtland Sutton? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Khalil Shakir over Courtland Sutton in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Khalil Shakir at 9.7 points and Courtland Sutton at 9.3, a gap of 0.4. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. Khalil Shakir's number is scaled up from a partial market: not every stat the position needs is posted yet, so the rest is estimated from what is. Market coverage on Khalil Shakir is 70 percent of what his position needs, so the market side of this carries proportionally less weight.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 9.3 fantasy points for Courtland Sutton, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market has Courtland Sutton at 36.5 receiving yards and 3.5 receptions, with a 31% chance to score a touchdown (16, 13 and 15 market sources).

Player markets imply 9.7 fantasy points for Khalil Shakir, with 70 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market gives Khalil Shakir a 28% chance to score a touchdown (14 market sources).

That puts Khalil Shakir 0.4 points ahead of Courtland Sutton on the market projections.

Injury status

Courtland Sutton is not on the injury report.

Khalil Shakir is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Courtland Sutton played 78 percent of DEN snaps, drew 18 percent of the targets, earned 34 percent of the air yards and had 17 percent of the red zone chances.

Courtland Sutton, Week 1 against KC: 39 of 51 snaps, 5 targets and 2 catches for 11 yards.

Courtland Sutton, Week 2 against JAX: 45 of 62 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 25 yards.

Courtland Sutton, Week 3 against LAR: 58 of 67 snaps, 7 targets and 3 catches for 46 yards.

Courtland Sutton, Week 4 against SF: 48 of 65 snaps, 6 targets and 1 catch for 4 yards.

Through Week 4, Khalil Shakir played 62 percent of BUF snaps, drew 21 percent of the targets, earned 13 percent of the air yards and had 13 percent of the red zone chances.

Khalil Shakir, Week 1 against HOU: 31 of 58 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 40 yards.

Khalil Shakir, Week 2 against DET: 36 of 74 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 38 yards.

Khalil Shakir, Week 3 against LAC: 48 of 66 snaps, 3 targets and 1 catch for 6 yards.

Khalil Shakir, Week 4 against NE: 45 of 59 snaps, 8 targets and 7 catches for 82 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Courtland Sutton played 17 games for DEN and scored 219.7 PPR points, 12.9 a game, finishing WR13.

He caught 74 of 124 targets for 1017 yards and 7 touchdowns, with 17 red zone targets and 795 air yards.

He was on the field for 86 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Khalil Shakir played 16 games for BUF and scored 166.4 PPR points, 10.4 a game, finishing WR36.

He caught 72 of 95 targets for 719 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 13 red zone targets and 178 air yards.

He was on the field for 60 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start Courtland Sutton over Adonai Mitchell.
• Start Deebo Samuel Sr. over Courtland Sutton.
• Start Courtland Sutton over Devaughn Vele.
• Start Khalil Shakir over Deebo Samuel Sr..
• Start Denzel Boston over Khalil Shakir.
• Start Khalil Shakir over Devaughn Vele.