Start Khalil Shakir or Jaylen Waddle? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Khalil Shakir over Jaylen Waddle in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Khalil Shakir at 11.2 points and Jaylen Waddle at 12.5, a gap of 1.2. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 12.5 fantasy points for Jaylen Waddle, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market has Jaylen Waddle at 55.5 receiving yards and 4.5 receptions, with a 32% chance to score a touchdown (14, 14 and 18 market sources).

Player markets imply 11.2 fantasy points for Khalil Shakir, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market has Khalil Shakir at 46.5 receiving yards and 4.5 receptions, with a 30% chance to score a touchdown (16, 14 and 16 market sources).

That puts Jaylen Waddle 1.2 points ahead of Khalil Shakir on the market projections.

Week 5 matchups

Jaylen Waddle and DEN visit LAC on Sunday at 4:05 PM ET.

LAC allowed 33.4 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 4 games, the 15th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 148 yards and a touchdown a game against LAC.

Injury status

Jaylen Waddle is not on the injury report.

Khalil Shakir is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Jaylen Waddle played 69 percent of DEN snaps, drew 21 percent of the targets, earned 38 percent of the air yards and had 7 percent of the red zone chances.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 1 against KC: 38 of 51 snaps, 3 targets and 1 catch for 2 yards.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 2 against JAX: 38 of 62 snaps, 10 targets and 8 catches for 138 yards.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 3 against LAR: 49 of 67 snaps, 1 carry for 14 yards, 7 targets and 2 catches for 10 yards.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 4 against SF: 45 of 65 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 35 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, Jaylen Waddle played 16 games for MIA and scored 194.1 PPR points, 12.1 a game, finishing WR24.

He caught 64 of 100 targets for 910 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 11 red zone targets and 682 air yards.

He was on the field for 78 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.

How Week 5 went

Khalil Shakir scored 11.0 PPR points and Jaylen Waddle scored 4.8.

The call was right: Khalil Shakir outscored Jaylen Waddle by 6.2.

Khalil Shakir finished 0.2 points below the 11.2 the market projected.

Khalil Shakir, Week 5 against LAR: 3 targets and 3 catches for 80 yards, 11.0 PPR points.

Khalil Shakir finished as the week's WR32 in PPR scoring.

Jaylen Waddle finished 7.7 points below the 12.5 the market projected.

Jaylen Waddle, Week 5 against LAC: 40 of 62 snaps, 1 carry for 9 yards, 5 targets and 2 catches for 19 yards, 4.8 PPR points.

Jaylen Waddle finished as the week's WR66 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start Carnell Tate over Jaylen Waddle.
• Start Chris Olave over Jaylen Waddle.
• Start Christian Watson over Jaylen Waddle.
• Start Khalil Shakir over Carnell Tate.
• Start Christian Watson over Khalil Shakir.
• Start Khalil Shakir over Courtland Sutton.