Is Keon Coleman or Khalil Shakir the WR1 for the Bills in Fantasy Football? Who Should I Draft?

Should you draft Keon Coleman or Khalil Shakir in 2025 fantasy football drafts? Dave Ventresca tells you which Bills wide receiver to draft this season.

The Buffalo Bills took a “spread the wealth” approach to their passing game last year. Four of their players had at least 50 targets, but no pass catchers had more than 900 receiving yards.

While the team did not deploy a traditional WR1 in 2024, that doesn’t mean they don't want one to emerge. General manager Brandon Beane has stated the team’s desire to find a WR1. There are several players currently on the roster who could become that player in 2025.

Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman are two receivers in contention for the WR1 spot. But which one has the best chance to become Buffalo’s top receiver? And which one should gamers target in fantasy football drafts? Let’s take a few minutes to discuss.

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Khalil Shakir 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

Shakir enjoyed a career year in 2024. With a 76-821-4 line, he led Buffalo in targets, receptions, and receiving yards.

ALLEN TO SHAKIR FOR THE 51-YARD TD!

📺: #BUFvsLAR on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/uOWT3VwXqi

— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2024

Even though Shakir worked primarily out of the slot, he was Buffalo's best receiver. Buffalo signed Shakir to a four-year, $53 million contract extension this offseason. The team was happy with his development last year. This means there is a strong chance that Shakir will remain Buffalo’s top receiver in 2025.

Keon Coleman 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

Coleman averaged a robust 19.2 yards per reception as a rookie in 2024.

Keon Coleman grown man catch #Bills #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/ODqL2u72AJ

— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) September 8, 2024

However, he failed to become a consistent part of Buffalo’s offense. This is mainly because Coleman (much like his collegiate career) consistently struggled to find separation against defensive backs.

Out of 169 receivers with 50+ targets, Coleman finished 142nd in Fantasy Points Data Suite’s Average Separation Score. He also finished dead last in Next Gen Stats' Average Separation (SEP) score. However you slice it, Coleman couldn’t get open.

This is a massive barrier to Coleman emerging as the team’s WR1. He must make major strides as a separator if he wants to overtake Shakir as the team’s lead receiver. This feels unlikely since Coleman has never been an elite route runner. It’s hard to see Coleman making a second-year leap without some role catering.

Who Should I Draft in 2025 Fantasy Football?

Coleman’s struggles are outlined above, and third-year tight end Dalton Kincaid is also heading down the wrong path. This makes Shakir the preferred pick in all leagues. He is a better option in half and full PPR leagues, but is clearly the team’s best receiver.

With Joshua Palmer and Elijah Moore being Buffalo’s main additions to the receiver room this offseason, there’s little reason to think Shakir won’t remain Buffalo’s top pass-catcher.

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