The question of is Keenan Allen playing has frustrated fantasy football managers for more than a month now. Since he got hurt back in Week 1, we have been left wondering about his status for almost all of the following five games.
Let’s take a look at the latest news regarding Allen’s Week 6 status and figure out what fantasy managers should do with the Los Angeles Chargers WR options.
Is Keenan Allen Playing Monday?
The latest news regarding Allen’s status would suggest the Chargers’ WR will miss the game on Monday. Firstly, Allen was listed as doubtful on the Chargers’ injury report.
That was somewhat unsurprising given what was being reported from Chargers’ practice by NFL Network’s Bridget Condon. Throughout the week, she noted that Allen would partake in individual drills before breaking off to do rehab work.
After practice on Saturday, Condon spoke to Allen, who answered “no” when asked if he thought he would be playing Monday. Allen also told Condon that he was “trusting the process” after pushing too hard early on in his recovery and reaggravated the injury.
The hope is that Allen will be able to partake in 11-on-11 drills with the team next week after feeling good in individual drills this week.
How Should Fantasy Managers Approach Allen, Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer, Gerald Everett, and DeAndre Carter This Week?
At this point, we simply just assume Allen is out. Therefore, you bench him and look for other options from our Week 6 fantasy rankings to start at either WR or in your Flex spot.
The fact Allen is listed as doubtful and was brutally honest about his chances to play in Week 6 at least gives us that clarity. If you are a fantasy manager who has depth on his roster, Allen could be a player to trade for if his current fantasy manager is panicking about their options for Week 6.
However, just be cautious with any offers for Allen. While it looks like he could be back for Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks, the Chargers’ bye week falls in Week 8.
MORE: Week 6 Start’em Sit’em
Therefore, we could see the Chargers decide to rest Allen through the bye, hoping to have him at 100 percent for the second half of the season. His value is still as a starter when he returns, but do not invest heavily expecting him to definitely return next week.
In Allen’s absence for Week 6 of the 2022 NFL schedule, we have a clear hierarchy for how to value the other fantasy options. Mike Williams has 44 targets through the first five weeks, with double-digit targets in three of the last four weeks. He is a must-start consideration in all league sizes while Allen is out.
Joshua Palmer is the player we then expect to benefit the most in playing time. He has seen more than 50 percent of the offensive snaps in all five games, only dipping below 70 percent once (week 4). His value is limited to 14-team Flex consideration, with a slight boost in PPR scoring systems.
Meanwhile, DeAndre Carter is more of a boom-or-bust option. He has just 25 yards on four receptions in the past two weeks. However, his average depth of target at 10.1 indicates he has the potential to put up big numbers if he sees a couple more targets.
So far, that has not materialized in most games, so his value has been restricted to Flex consideration in 18-team leagues or deeper.
Tight end Gerald Everett has seen a slight boost in value since Allen has been out. He had 22 targets between Weeks 2 and 4 for 157 yards and a touchdown on 13 receptions. However, he struggled in Week 5, with just two yards from one reception on three targets.
The matchup this week is better than it was against the Browns, but the continued expansion of Donald Parham’s role has limited his upside. Everett is still a streaming tight end option in all leagues, but the upside does not appear to be what it was straight after Allen’s injury.