Keenan

Allen

“I wouldn’t say the room is complete,” he added. The Athletic’s Daniel Popper also mentioned Jauan Jennings, Deebo Samuel, and Tyreek Hill as “unsigned veteran receivers with scheme familiarity” for new OC Mike McDaniel. Fantasy managers reliant on Ladd McConkey will want the Chargers to avoid a reunion with Allen, as they both tend to win in the same areas of the field. McConkey, of course, watched his fantasy stock suffer last year with Allen in the fold.

Diggs is perhaps the biggest-name player still available in free agency, and Pelissero groups him with Deebo Samuel, DeAndre Hopkins, and Keenan Allen as wideouts who are waiting on the outskirts and probably can’t do better than a one-year, $5 million-type contract at this point. Pelissero points to the compensatory picks formula and notes that interest in these players may pick up closer to the draft.

Allen operated as Justin Herbert’s top target earner against the Patriots, just like he did all season long. The 33-year-old wide receiver successfully supplanted youngster, Ladd McConkey, as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver after returning from a one-off campaign with the Bears in 2024. Allen caught 81-of-118 targets for 777 yards and four touchdowns. He finished as the half-PPR WR33 on the year, but his productivity notably decreased as the season progressed. After finishing as the WR17 or better in Weeks 1-3, he finished inside the position’s top 36 just three times in Weeks 4-18. Allen is a free agent this offseason. Should the Chargers re-sign him, he would warrant FLEX treatment in 2026 drafts.

The Chargers seemingly built their passing game plans around Allen’s contract incentives. He needed six catches for $750,000 and nine receiving yards for $250,000. Chargers QB Trey Lance targeted him early and often, notably targeting Allen five times on their final drive before halftime. Allen earned nearly all of his targets on quick-hitting routes, though Lance did give him one errant downfield opportunity on the first drive after half. Allen is a WR4/FLEX against the Patriots.

Allen has disappointed for some time. This week is no different. He contributed a costly drop on third down, leading to a punt on the Chargers’ third drive. It was also the Chargers’ third punt of the day. Allen later failed to secure a back-shoulder pass in the end zone from 10 yards out, late in the game. He should not be in re-draft lineups next week against the Broncos.

Allen has not scored or gone past seven targets since Week 7, over that span he has given you: 44, 41, 19, 53, 30, 22, 26, and now 44 yards. He remains a respectable real-life player, but this fantasy role is only an Aspirational PPR Scam. He’d be tough to trust against the Texans in Week 17.

Allen led the Chargers in targets in another run-heavy day for Greg Roman’s offense. Allen saw an uptick in playing time with Quentin Johnston (groin) sidelined. Five catches is the most Allen has had in a game since mid-October, when his playing time began to dwindle. Allen next week against the Cowboys will have some flex viability in larger PPR formats, though he would be somewhat touchdown reliant without much target volume to go around.

Allen actually led all Los Angeles wide receivers in both catches and yardage on a night quarterback Justin Herbert attempted only 26 passes, but it was his block to spring running back Omarion Hampton’s touchdown that should be praised the most. His veteran savvy was on full display as he was able to take both his cornerback and a linebacker out of the play through expert blocking, allowing Hampton to walk into the end zone to cap a successful first drive. Allen has now gone seven weeks without usable counting stats in a fantasy setting, best returned to the waiver wire in shallow leagues.

Allen was seemingly headed toward a big day. Instead, he delivers a classic, scoreless bummer. All five of his targets were earned on the Chargers’ first three drives. He was seemingly getting open at will. Heartbreak struck on the Chargers’ third drive when Allen had a seemingly winnable one-on-one situation, running down the right sideline from the Raiders’ 23-yard line. QB Justin Herbert targeted him just outside the goal line but the two were unable to connect. Allen is a FLEX option against the Eagles next week.

Coming into the game with three straight quiet box scores, Allen actually led the team in receptions, yards and targets, but the “big effort” produced just 9.3 PPR points as Justin Herbert completed all of 10 throws for 81 yards. The Chargers could not move the ball at all in Jacksonville, and Herbert’s Allen checkdowns were merely a means of saving face. The Bolts now get a bye week reset before returning in Week 13 against the Raiders. We would still consider Allen a zero-ceiling WR4 for that one.