Once again, we are on Keenan Allen injury watch in Week 7 as fantasy football managers await his return. With the Los Angeles Chargers listing him on their injury report as limited Wednesday, does he have a chance to play this week?
Let’s examine the latest news coming out of LA regarding Allen’s injury and the fantasy considerations for this week.
Latest Update on Keenan Allen’s Injury Entering Week 7
It’s no real surprise to see Allen on the injury report for the Chargers this week. We expected him to be at least limited after he was able to carry a questionable tag into game day in Week 6. However, we’ve seen in recent weeks that Allen being limited to open the week is no sure sign that he will be active.
That appears to be the case again in Week 7. With the Chargers having a bye in Week 8, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper asked Allen if there was a chance he might sit out Week 7 and give his hamstring two more weeks to heal. Allen acknowledged that was possible, and that they “definitely want to play it the smartest way, and if that’s the best thing, then that’s what it will be.”
MORE: WR Injury Report Week 7
That is frustrating for fantasy managers who have been without one of their leading receivers since Week 1 and likely will be for another two weeks. If this frustration has left you looking for a distraction from your season-long team, then Underdog Fantasy is the place for you. With a $100 deposit bonus for new users, Underdog Fantasy allows you to draft a new team every single week in their contests.
While it is frustrating, if fantasy managers have been able to cope with Allen’s absence so far, this may be for the best. The worst-case scenario now is that Allen rushes back and hurts himself to the point he misses more time. If you can limp into Week 9, then at least it looks like Allen will be back to help your team on the run to the playoffs.
Fantasy Implications of Allen’s Injury Situation in Week 7
Quite honestly, if Allen does suit up in Week 7, it would be hard for fantasy managers to trust him. He could still very much be usable, but it seems unlikely he would see a full workload. There is every chance he could just be on the field to serve as a decoy, which is a potential disaster for fantasy.
Not only would Allen not earn many fantasy points, if any at all, but he would also take away opportunities for someone else. Therefore, in the wider fantasy picture, it might be best if Allen did not play. It would open more opportunities for the other Chargers’ wide receivers to deliver for fantasy managers.
Since Allen has been out, Mike Williams has generally produced fantastic results for fantasy managers. He’s seen double-digit targets in three of the four games, going over 100 yards in all of those games. That success came to a screaming halt in Week 6, but Williams should have a chance to bounce back against the Seahawks this week.
The question comes around who else can have value. The Seahawks are only allowing an average of 22.83 fantasy points to opposing WRs in half-PPR. Assuming we might see Williams take 10-15 of those if we see his usage bounce back, then there’s not much left to go around.
Additionally, Joshua Palmer is dealing with his second concussion of the year and is expected to miss the game. That would likely leave DeAndre Carter as the other starting WR, while some combination of Jason Moore Jr., Michael Bandy, Keelan Doss, John Hightower, and Joe Reed provide the depth. Carter has a chance to be an intriguing 16-team Flex option after seeing five targets on 73% of the snaps in Week 6.
The big winner should come at tight end. Seattle has been awful against tight ends this year. Opposing tight ends average more than 20 fantasy points per game when facing Seattle. Gerald Everett was absent from practice due to illness Wednesday but is not expected to miss the game.
Everett could be in for a huge day with Donald Parham Jr. on the injury report with a concussion. Parham suffered a serious head injury in 2021, so it would not be a surprise to see him miss this week. Therefore, Everett could be in line for double-digit targets while facing an extremely soft matchup. If you’re not starting him already, this would be the week to consider doing so.