Fantasy Upside
After falling out of favor with the coaching staff in 2016, Javorius Allen caught 46 passes and finished with a total of 841 yards from scrimmage last season as a complementary back to Alex Collins. He also scored six touchdowns. Allen has soft hands and has demonstrated his ability to catch the ball effectively throughout his short career. He caught 45 passes as a rookie in 2015, and he should be in line for more work on passing downs this year.
Fantasy Downside
Allen hasn’t thrived when given the opportunity to increase his workload, making it unlikely he surpasses his numbers from last year and giving him limited upside. Alex Collins and Kenneth Dixon seem to be the primary ball-carriers heading into the season, even though Allen should remain in the mix for change-of-pace work.
2018 Bottom Line
Allen has some value as a spot-starter or bye-week filler, particularly in PPR formats that take advantage of his work in the passing game. Fantasy owners should consider him more of a low-end bench option in these formats, rather than a legitimate handcuff. If something happens to Collins, Dixon is likely to see an uptick in value, with Allen maintaining a similar workload.