Keenan Allen

Fantasy Upside
If high-end consistency is your thing, Keenan Allen is your guy. The veteran wideout has at least 97 catches in each of the last four seasons. In 2020, Allen had 992 receiving yards and tied a career high with eight touchdowns in 14 games. While Allen was 12th in fantasy points among wide receivers, SI.com's Michael Fabiano notes he was seventh at the position in terms of his points per game average. Allen stepped up and was the favorite receiver for Justin Herbert, just like he was for Philip Rivers for so many years. In fact, Allen was even better in the 13 games he played with Herbert last season than he was without him, ranking fifth in fantasy points per game while leading all wideouts in targets per game (10.7). By the way, that consistency is long-standing. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is now displaying the jersey and gloves Allen used during the Chargers' Week 14 victory over the Falcons. In that game, Allen recorded his 623rd career reception while playing in his 99th game. He surpassed Antonio Brown (622 receptions in 100 games) for the most receptions by a player in NFL history in their first 100 contests.

Fantasy Downside
There's a change of coaching staff and new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi is talking about Allen's teammate Mike Williams filling the "X" receiver role in the scheme he's bringing with him from New Orleans. That would be the same role Michael Thomas played for the Saints. A busier Williams could be a limiting factor on Allen. In addition, the Chargers will move the ball on the ground, and with talented pass-catching running backs, some of Allen's intermediate routes are no longer there

2021 Bottom Line
Don't panic over the downside. With Herbert working behind an upgraded offensive line, don't let the change in coaching staff worry you here. Allen remains a potential 100-catch, 10-touchdown receiver and a No. 1 fantasy wideout.

Week 15 at Las Vegas

Allen was back to his WR1 ways last week against the Atlanta Falcons as he caught 9-of-11 targets for 52 yards and one touchdown. This was a historic week for Allen as he became only the fourth WR in NFL history with four consecutive 95+ catch seasons (joining Antonio Brown, Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison), and also broke the record for most receptions in first 100 career games with 623, moving past Brown’s 622.

Allen has been a beast all season and Week 15 brings his fantasy managers the gift of taking on the Las Vegas Raiders who rank 21st in aFPA to WRs. When Allen matched up against the Raiders for Week 9, he caught 9-of-11 targets for 103 yards and one touchdown—one of his best stat lines of the year. With Mike Williams set to be out with an injury in this one, Allen should see a bump in his already league-leading target share. In the fantasy football semifinals, expect elite WR1 production from Allen and even perhaps his best game of the season.

Week 13 vs New England

Allen had a solid game last week against Buffalo as he saw 10 targets which he turned into four receptions for 40 yards and one touchdown. In a game that saw Austin Ekeler return to the tune of a team-high 16 targets, Allen was still very much involved in this offense. Fantasy managers shouldn’t be concerned with Ekeler’s workload, as the passing volume in this LA Chargers offense is one of the highest in the league, and it would make sense for the target share to mostly go to Allen and Ekeler.

Week 13 brings a stiff matchup in the New England Patriots who currently rank 10th in aFPA to WRs this season. Taking on arguably the league’s premier lockdown corner in Stephon Gillmore, Allen will be tested once again, however his talent and target volume have made him virtually matchup proof to this point. Unlike past seasons, Allen’s newfound touchdown success has made him a weekly WR1 coupled with his targets. Allen has scored a touchdown in each of the last five games and his seven total touchdowns this season make him almost guaranteed to shatter his career-high of eight in his rookie year. Keep Allen plugged in as a high-end WR1 this week.