For fantasy football managers, the question of is Keenan Allen playing has somewhat been the soundtrack of their season. That question continues into Week 11, with Allen heading into Sunday Night Football listed as questionable.
Let’s examine Allen’s status for Week 11 and what it means for the fantasy value of the WRs in the Los Angeles Chargers offense this week.
Update: Keenan Allen is active for the Chargers’ Week 11 game.
Is Keenan Allen Playing Today?
The signs are starting to point towards Allen suiting up for just the third time this season in Week 11. Coming out of practice Friday, Allen appeared optimistic, telling Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times he was able to run at full speed and felt his usual explosiveness. He also told ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry that he has hamstring feels great and that “he 100 percent wants to and is ready to play Sunday.”
However, Allen also added that the final decision will be up to the training and coaching staff. That report was very much echoed by both ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport heading into Sunday. Rapoport added that it “is the expectation” that Allen will play in Week 11.
MORE: Week 11 Start/Sit Advice
However, we do not have definitive language that Allen will play, with head coach Brandon Staley calling both Allen and Mike Williams game-time decisions when he spoke to the media. The fact that both were able to participate fully in practice on Friday is a positive sign, but things are not completely clear-cut for fantasy managers.
With Allen and Williams both potentially set to return on Sunday Night Football, what is their outlook this week, and what is the fantasy situation for the entire group of Chargers’ WRs?
Fantasy Outlook for Allen, Mike Williams, Josh Palmer, and DeAndre Carter
The fact that there is a lack of clarity surrounding the Chargers WRs this week is somewhat frustrating for fantasy managers. That is because this matchup offers a huge amount of potential for WRs in terms of fantasy returns. On the season, the Kansas City Chiefs allow an average of 31.49 fantasy points per game to opposing WRs, the fifth-highest number this season.
Additionally, in the past six games, the Chiefs have allowed more than 30 fantasy points to opposing WRs five times and over 40 fantasy points on four occasions. Another positive for the Chargers is that back in Week 2, their receivers combined for 39.3 fantasy points against the Chiefs.
Therefore, there is certainly fantasy value to be found here, but the potential playing time split between the four receivers is the concern. In that Week 2 game, Williams had eight receptions from 10 targets for 113 yards and a touchdown. However, his usage in Week 1, when Allen was active, was significantly lower than when Allen has been out.
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Meanwhile, Josh Palmer has averaged 7.25 targets, 4.63 receptions, 48.8 receiving yards, and scored one receiving touchdown this season in his eight games. However, he will likely be splitting time, at best, in two WR sets if both Williams and Allen are healthy. That significantly reduces his ceiling.
Similarly, DeAndre Carter has seen sporadic usage this year. With Williams and Allen out in the past two weeks, he has nine receptions from 10 targets for 117 yards and a touchdown. However, he could easily be reduced to a timeshare as the third WR, at best, this week.
As it stands, if Allen and Williams are active, they have to be viewed as the pair with the most upside. They practiced in full on Friday, indicating they may not have many limitations. Even if they do play on a snap count, they should be expected to lead the receivers in snaps this week.
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Starting either of them comes with a risk, with a lack of 100% clarity that they will play. With this game being on Sunday Night Football, if either was a late scratch, fantasy managers might be left without anywhere to turn. Of course, if you have a combination of Williams, Allen, Carter, and Palmer on your roster, that gives you some insurance if one is a late inactive.
Ultimately, playing any of the Chargers’ WRs comes with a huge risk this week. We know the upside that both Allen and Williams possess when they are 100% healthy. We just do not know exactly how this situation will shape out this week, and that uncertainty is never ideal this late in the fantasy season.
If one of Allen or Williams were inactive, Palmer would likely be the biggest beneficiary. He might actually be the most reliable Chargers’ WR for fantasy in terms of playing time if that were to be the case. If both are inactive, then Palmer and Carter become extremely enticing options as potential 12-team Flex starters in this matchup.