Fantasy Football Week 1 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Romeo Doubs vs. Rashid Shaheed

Evaluating who is better to play in fantasy football lineups in Week 1 between Seattle Seahawks WR Rashid Shaheed and New England Patriots WR Romeo Doubs.

Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) walks to practice for training camp at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the NFL starting on Wednesday, some fantasy managers will already be faced with tough decisions in the first game of the season. One of these might be deciding whether or not to start or sit the WR2s in the opening matchup between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks: Romeo Doubs and Rashid Shaheed. With that, here is a breakdown of who to put in fantasy lineups and who to leave out between the two WRs.

Rashid Shaheed

Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) runs in the first half against the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Shaheed was a great mid-season addition for Seattle in their run to eventually winning the Super Bowl in the 2025 season. He is a big play waiting to happen. However, those plays for him with Seattle were mainly felt not when he was lined up as a WR but rather as their kick and punt returner.

In the nine games he played with Seattle, he had just 18 receptions for 199 yards and two TDs. In six of those games, he had under 10 receiving yards. He did have some big fantasy games in New Orleans, though, where in nine games with them in 2025 he had 44 receptions, 499 receiving yards, and two TDs. His best game was against the New York Giants in Week 5, where he had four receptions for 114 yards and a TD.

Against New England, it will be tough for Shaheed to log his first big fantasy game in Seahawks threads. In 2025, the Patriots allowed the eighth fewest passing yards per game, 185.7. They also allowed the 13th fewest PPR fantasy points to WRs. In the final three games of the regular season, they did a good job of limiting explosive plays, allowing not a single reception of 30 yards or more during that stretch.

Romeo Doubs

Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) does a drill during training camp at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In 2025, the Green Bay Packers spread out the volume of their pass game to a multitude of players. Doubs was one of them, and he ended up leading the Packers in receiving yards with 724. Now, with the Patriots having a less talented supporting group behind him on the depth chart on paper, he should be due to receive more volume in 2026, giving him a real shot to be fantasy-relevant.

His path to a good fantasy season starts against what should be an above-average Seattle passing defense. In 2025, they allowed the 13th fewest passing yards per game. Also, in PPR fantasy formats, they allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to WRs.

Last season, Doubs had a small sample against some of the best passing defenses. He faced two teams that ranked inside the top five for fewest passing yards allowed: the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns. Against the Browns, he had two receptions for 25 yards, and against the Vikings, he had two receptions for 23 yards.

Final Verdict

When it comes to who should start and who should sit in Week 1 between Doubs and Shaheed, Doubs should start, and Shaheed should sit. 

Both are going up against above-average secondaries, but Doubs is a safer play. Shaheed again has yet to have a standout game with the Seahawks, and against a defense of New England’s caliber, now is not the time to bank on that changing.

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