Seahawks Don't Let Rashid Shaheed Leave

What They're Saying

Tony Holzman-Escareno, NFL senior researcher: "Shaheed has averaged 47.8 yards per scrimmage TD in his career, the highest by any player in the Super Bowl era (minimum 10 TD). Shaheed also has 5 career kick/punt return TD, the most since he was drafted in 2022."

2026 Fantasy Football Impact

Shaheed generated a few splash plays in Seattle's run but never got heavily involved in the offense. He averaged just 1.7 receptions per game across his nine regular-season appearances after the trade, and then added 3 more total catches across three playoff contests.

But the mid-season trade pointed to how the Seahawks valued him. You don't usually send draft picks for a player you're just looking to rent.

And Shaheed's usage trended up in New Orleans. His receptions per game increased every season, to a career-high 4.9 before last year's swap.

This new contract should lock him in as the No. 2 target in an offense that could stand to relieve some pressure from Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Cooper Kupp ranked just 59th among WRs at 14.9% target share as Seattle's No. 2 in targets last year, after arriving for similar money.

That's a reasonable expectation level for Shaheed's usage. Though his big-play ability -- referenced in the quote above -- gives him far more scoring potential than Kupp.

Ultimately, Shaheed looks like a WR4-5 in fantasy with upside into WR3 range. His play style makes him particularly attractive in that range for best-ball formats, when you don't need to decide whether to start him.

Dynasty Impact

There's potential for Seattle's recent run-heavy offense and Shaheed's light 2025 production to leave dynasty managers disappointed that he stayed. Don't be afraid to prey on such feelings where it makes sense.

Shaheed's not likely to turn into a true difference maker for your fantasy lineup. But Seattle didn't pay him that much to keep grabbing 1.7 receptions per game.

Consider tossing Shaheed into larger trade packages, and we'll see how high he can climb.

Other Winners & Losers

Kupp's probably not going anywhere after his $9 million 2026 salary became fully guaranteed in February. That's bad news for his fantasy outlook, given that Kupp didn't prove particularly helpful even before Shaheed arrived.

Tory Horton, a 2025 rookie, also doesn't have much room to emerge this season.

Keeping Shaheed is a win for QB Sam Darnold, though -- more so than it might seem from Shaheed's muted 2025 offensive impact.