Start Khalil Shakir or Devaughn Vele? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Khalil Shakir over Devaughn Vele in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Khalil Shakir at 9.7 points and Devaughn Vele at 8.7, a gap of 1.0. 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 8.7 fantasy points for Devaughn Vele, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market has Devaughn Vele at 36.5 receiving yards and 3.5 receptions, with a 22% chance to score a touchdown (14, 9 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 1.0 points ahead of Devaughn Vele on the market projections.

Injury status

Devaughn Vele is not on the injury report.

Khalil Shakir is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Devaughn Vele played 91 percent of NO snaps, drew 18 percent of the targets, earned 21 percent of the air yards and had 14 percent of the red zone chances.

Devaughn Vele, Week 1 against DET: 82 of 90 snaps, 9 targets and 7 catches for 69 yards, 1 touchdown.

Devaughn Vele, Week 2 against BAL: 65 of 68 snaps, 7 targets and 5 catches for 64 yards.

Devaughn Vele, Week 3 against LV: 65 of 74 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 39 yards.

Devaughn Vele, Week 4 against ATL: 66 of 74 snaps, 9 targets and 6 catches for 54 yards, 1 touchdown.

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, Devaughn Vele played 13 games for NO and scored 66.3 PPR points, 5.1 a game, finishing WR95.

He caught 25 of 39 targets for 293 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 4 red zone targets and 259 air yards.

He was on the field for 51 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 Devaughn Vele over Adonai Mitchell.
• Start Courtland Sutton over Devaughn Vele.
• Start Deebo Samuel Sr. over Devaughn Vele.
• Start Khalil Shakir over Courtland Sutton.
• Start Denzel Boston over Khalil Shakir.
• Start Khalil Shakir over Jakobi Meyers.