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The New Orleans Saints snapped a two-game losing skid and propelled themselves back to .500 with a 38-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8. Amid the double-digit win, wide receiver Rashid Shaheed had an explosive performance in which he finished over 150 receiving yards with a score to his name. Despite having clear competition in the receiving room, Shaheed is clearly liable to connect with Derek Carr on more than a few deep plays through the air.
We assess Shaheed’s fantasy upside and determine whether he’s worth picking up off of the waiver wire ahead of Week 9.
Saints WR Rashid Shaheed: Week 9 waiver wire
Shaheed is rostered in 18.3 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues and 36 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues ahead of Week 9. After averaging 14.7 PPR fantasy points through the first two games of the season, Shaheed cooled off in the ensuing weeks as New Orleans’ offense was in a bit of a rut. Over his next five games, he finished in double-digit fantasy scoring just once.
However, Shaheed flexed his big play value in a Week 8 win over the Colts, finishing with three receptions for 153 yards and one touchdown for 24.3 PPR fantasy points. He’s averaging just 2.9 receptions per game this season, so he won’t boast tremendous PPR value based on volume alone.
That being said, he’s still worth adding off the waiver wire based on his big play potential alone. That means he presents more value in standard fantasy leagues, and that trait is exacerbated by the fact that he’s playing behind the likes of Michael Thomas and Chris Olave. He may not have 20-plus fantasy points every week, but his ability to stretch the field makes him a solid WR3/WR4 in most fantasy leagues.
In deeper leagues of 12 to 14 teams, he boasts some fringe FLEX value if fantasy managers find themselves in a bind due to the bye week or due to injuries.