Bills WR Khalil Shakir suffered a high right ankle sprain in the team's Saturday practice at the stadium. HC Sean McDermott told reporters Sunday that Shakir is "week to week." Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports says sources project a 4-5 week expected absence.
2025 Fantasy Football Impact
We'll see how this one plays out. It's obviously too early to know whether Shakir's ankle sprain will impact his Week 1 availability, and that 4-5 week projection comes from just the single source at this point.
But "week to week" certainly suggests that the Bills expect to miss Shakir for a while. And teams especially lean cautious with returning a player from injury ahead of the season.
The closer we get to the season without Shakir on the field, the more we'll have to adjust Shakir's fantasy outlook for the season. For now, his early-season floor certain gets lower. Don't expect a big adjustment to his full-season projection yet, though.
Other Winners & Losers
Any missed time in the preseason for Shakir would present opportunities for other pass catchers. TE Dalton Kincaid and WR Curtis Samuel would likely stand to gain the most. They operate in similar areas of the field to Shakir.
WR Keon Coleman could also see more targets if Shakir misses any regular-season games. Shakir averaged 6.7 targets per game last season.
Don't fret over any negative impact to QB Josh Allen's outlook, though. Shakir drew high volume last year but averaged just 10.8 yards per catch and scored only 4 TDs for the season. Other Bills could certainly absorb those numbers.