Rashid Shaheed Start or Sit Advice for Week 1
After being traded to the Seahawks around the deadline last season, many had high hopes for Rashid Shaheed ($6,400 for Showdown) as a fantasy option, but the receiver didn’t deliver. Shaheed averaged just 5.9 FPTS per game in his 12 games with Seattle between the regular season and the playoffs.
Shaheed only scored double-digit FPTS twice and he generated a low 0.19 FPTS per snap. Shaheed garnered a target on just 12% of his routes and he only ran a route on 49% of the team’s drop backs. Additionally, Shaheed averaged a pathetic 0.98 YPPR. The receiver was mostly used as a deep threat, leading the Seahawks with a 11.7 aDOT and seeing 10 targets over 20 yards.
Shaheed and Sam Darnold did connect on four of those long targets, but none of these passes resulted in touchdowns. Shaheed found pay dirt three times with the Seahawks, but they all came on kick or punt returns. These special team touchdowns notably accounted for 25% of Shaheed’s FPTS.
Even though Shaheed wasn’t much a factor outside of special teams, the Seahawks signed him to a three-year, $51 million deal this offseason. Given this lucrative deal, Seattle obviously has plans to use Shaheed more this season, but will he deliver for fantasy?
Shaheed should see a higher route rate, but him commanding more targets for this run-heavy offense is by no means a guarantee — the Seahawks ranked third in rush rate last season (49.7%). Reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba is going to continue to be a huge target hog — he saw a target in 29% of his routes last season — and Shaheed only seeing a handful of targets on a weekly basis is a strong possibility.
To begin the season, Shaheed is in a tough matchup vs. the Patriots, who held him to just 4.2 FPTS when these team’s met in the Super Bowl in February. New England gave up the fourth-fewest yards per pass last season (5.8), and Shaheed’s prop lines for this contest on DraftKings Sportsbook suggest another quiet showing. Currently, Shaheed’s lines are 2.5 receptions for 31.5 yards and he presents +330 odds to score a touchdown.
The Patriots should limit Shaheed to another low fantasy score and keeping the receiver on your bench for this matchup is a smart move.
