RADIO
Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed, Khalil Shakir fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 1 (2025). Should you start or sit Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed, Khalil Shakir in Week 1?
Headed into Week 1 of the NFL season, veteran wide receivers Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed, and Khalil Shakir are each coming back from injury. Coming into the week, it looks like they'll be able to suit up for Week 1, but does that mean they should be in your fantasy lineup as well? Each has a unique situation and opportunity, so let's take a look.
Jennings has a calf injury and contract dispute, but could be the 49ers' top receiver if he's healthy. Shaheed flashed an extremely high upside with the Saints last year before a torn meniscus cut his season short. Shakir was the top wide receiver for the Bills last year, but he missed the last month with a high ankle sprain.
This article will break down their injuries, matchups, and opportunities in order to help you decide if any of these veterans are startable in Week 1.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
- Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- NFL rookie fantasy football rankings
- Best ball fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Should I Start Jauan Jennings for Fantasy Football Week 1?
Jennings broke through with a big year last season in his fourth year in the NFL. The 49ers drafted him in the seventh round out of Tennessee, and he showed flashes from 2021 to 2023. He had five touchdowns in his rookie year on just 24 catches, and he totaled a solid 416 yards in 2022. He was limited by injury in 2023 and broke through last year with 77 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games.
He showed his high ceiling with two massive games during the season, catching 11 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns against the Rams, and later in the year, catching 10 passes for 92 yards and a score against the Seahawks. He had at least seven catches in six games and established himself as a reliable PPR option who was one of Brock Purdy's go-to receivers in high-pressure situations near the goal line and on third down.
After a contract dispute forced the team to trade Deebo Samuel Sr. this offseason, Jennings looked set for a huge early-season role while the team waited for Brandon Aiyuk (knee) to return from injury. However, Jennings started to have both contract and injury issues of his own.
ESPN Senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Jennings wanted a new deal or a trade before the start of the season, although coach Kyle Shanahan said that Jennings had "not formally requested a trade." After just a few practices, he re-aggravated a calf injury and missed the entire month of August.
How much of his absence was injury-related and how much was contract-related is unclear, but general manager John Lynch stated that Jennings would not be traded and still had a chance to return in time for Week 1.
#49ers GM John Lynch says team is “hopeful but not sure on Week 1” when it comes to WR Jauan Jennings being available.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) August 27, 2025
He was able to return to practice on Monday, and he jumped right back into drills with the other receivers after a warm welcome to the field from both Lynch and Shanahan. For now, at least, it seems the contract dispute is behind him and the injury won't keep him off the field.
Like all three of these receivers, he's high-risk in Week 1 since he hasn't had many reps on the field. However, his strong connection with Purdy and the good results he achieved last year will give him a high ceiling if he practices all week and doesn't have any restrictions.
The 49ers are playing in the late Sunday afternoon window against the Seahawks, who Jennings tore up in their most recent meeting in that 10-catch performance highlighted above.
He's a high-end WR4 in standard-sized leagues for Week 1, so he'll likely be on the bench in most formats. However, he can be a "swing-for-the-fences" pick due to his high ceiling for a flex spot or a third receiver, but he'll be high-risk until we see his role and his health going into the season.
Should I Start Rashid Shaheed for Fantasy Football Week 1?
Shaheed is probably the healthiest of these three veteran receivers since he has not had any issues this training camp. Shaheed still has plenty of question marks coming into the season, though, even though his health doesn't appear to be one of them. He was in the middle of a potential breakout campaign last year before a torn meniscus in Week 6 ended his season.
The Saints originally added Shaheed as an undrafted free agent, and he has played his way into a more significant role each year. His consistent performance over the last two years and clear big-play upside give him a very high ceiling, and the reports are that he bulked up this offseason to better withstand the grind of taking more contact over the course of the season.
The main concerns coming into his fourth season are that Shaheed doesn't have a great quarterback situation and has never delivered production across a full year. He also has to contend for looks with Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara, and new addition Brandin Cooks.
In Week 1, the Saints will go with Spencer Rattler at quarterback in the first game for new head coach Kellen Moore. Rattler and Shaheed have looked good in training camp, producing highlights like this one:
Rattler to Shaheed 🙌#Saints pic.twitter.com/TgrN09naLj
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 5, 2025
Shaheed also totaled five catches on six targets for 29 yards in his preseason action and looked fully recovered from last year's knee injury.
Before his injury last year, Shaheed was on pace for 989 yards and nine touchdowns. He is in a new system with a new quarterback, so he's still a risky start in Week 1 against the Cardinals. He's a dart throw play who does have upside if you need to press him into service, but he is a high-risk play in standard formats until we see how Moore and Rattler deploy him.
Should I Start Khalil Shakir for Fantasy Football Week 1?
Like Jennings, Shakir is back at practice, getting ready for Week 1, and should be ready to make an impact. The Bills gave him a huge extension this offseason, agreeing to a four-year contract extension worth up to $60.2 million, which will keep him in Buffalo through the 2029 season.
The fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft from Boise State played 15 games last year and set new career highs with 76 catches for 821 yards and four touchdowns. The Bills spread the ball around effectively to multiple targets and rely heavily on the run game. But Shakir led the team in catches, targets, receiving yards, and first down receptions, while tying for the team lead in receiving touchdowns last year.
Shakir suffered a high ankle sprain early in August, which kept him sidelined for the entire preseason, but he was able to return to practice last week.
Khalil Shakir is back at practice after missing the last few weeks on a high ankle injury #BillsMafia
📸 @AndyYoungTV pic.twitter.com/52XgCE9CPT
— SleeperBills (@SleeperBills) August 27, 2025
Shakir is expected to lead the receiving room again this year with Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, and newcomer Joshua Palmer. He could work his way back slowly after the injury, but he still has a high ceiling as Josh Allen's top receiver. Shakir has a higher floor than the other two players in this post, but he's still only a fringe starter in Week 1.
The Bills will take on the Ravens on Sunday Night Football to open the season. They faced Baltimore twice last season, and in the regular season, Shakir caught four passes for 62 receiving yards. In the playoff rematch, Shakir had six catches for 67 more yards.
As the two teams face off for the third time in the last 12 months, I don't see Shakir as a must-start, but he can be a flex play fill-in if you're stretched thin. If all three are healthy and available, Shakir is probably the safest play of the three, although Jennings would have the highest ceiling.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed, and Khalil Shakir outlooks. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 1. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed, and Khalil Shakir. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 1.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 1 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed, Khalil Shakir compared to others:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
