Week 4 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Keenan Allen enjoyed a career day against the Vikings in Week 3, earning him overall WR1 numbers for the week. Allen caught 18 of his 20 targets for 215 yards, all career highs, on his way to 36.5 Half PPR points. He also attempted his first pass since 2021, with Mike Williams grabbing it for a 49-yard touchdown. Allen is the WR2 in fantasy points per game in 2023 after three weeks.
The Raiders have been better against wide receivers than other positions so far this season, and rank 11th in aFPA to wideouts. But Allen is an absolute target monster so far this season, and with Mike Williams lost for the tear and Austin Ekeler still sidelined, he projects for another huge workload in Week 4. He's a top-end WR1 projection this week.
Week 3 at Minnesota Vikings
Keenan Allen rolled back the years with a fantasy day to remember against the Titans in Week 2. The wily vet corralled eight of ten targets for 111 yards with two touchdowns on his way to 27.1 Half PPR points and an overall WR1 finish. Allen is the WR5 after two weeks of the season.
The good times should continue to roll for Allen against a woefully undermanned Vikings defense in Week 3. Another top-12 outing should be on the cards in a game that should see the scoreboard well and truly lit up.
Week 2 at Tennessee Titans
Keenan Allen served as the focal point of the Chargers passing attack in Week 1, leading the team with a 29% target share. Allen converted his nine targets into six receptions for 76 yards, earning 11.2 Half-PPR points along the way. These points saw Allen finish the week as the WR25.
The Titans are one of the league's premier pass funnel defenses, standing up much better against the run than through the air. The Chargers will hopefully lean more toward a pass-heavy approach after a 50:50 pass-to-run ratio a week ago, which will be great news for Allen. He projects as a low-end WR1 this week.
Week 1 vs Miami Dolphins
Keenan Allen missed a good chunk of the 2022 season, playing in just 10 games. He caught 66 passes for 752 yards and four touchdowns, setting a four-season high with an 8.4 yards per target average. Allen averaged 11.6 Half-PPR points per game, good for WR20 in per-game scoring in that format.
Allen has a fairly middle-of-the-road matchup to get his season underway, with the 2022 Dolphins ranking 15th in aFPA to wide receivers. Allen should be in the WR1 conversation, but his days of truly elite fantasy production are probably behind him. He won't let you down, but you should temper your expectations a bit.
Fantasy Upside
Keenan Allen will be looking to remain healthy and bounce back from a 2022 season in which he missed seven of the first nine games due to injuries. That said, his production per game was on par with his career norms -- and at times above it. It's worth noting his career-long consistency. The five-time Pro Bowl selection will surely go over the 800-reception mark for his career and figures to top 10,000 career yards if he stays healthy. More to the immediate point, you'll want to remember that upon his return from injury in Week 11 last season, Allen turned in top-five production at his position while commanding a 26.5 percent target share and a 34.9 percent air yard share. His only two 100-yard outings came in the final three weeks of the season. He also had two big reception games in December -- games of 12 and 11 -- falling two weeks apart.
Fantasy Downside
Beyond his advancing age (Allen is 30), the Chargers and fantasy managers need him to remain on the field and not observing from the sideline.
2023 Bottom Line
With quarterback Justin Herbert entering his prime, Allen could regain the form he displayed from 2017-2021 when he had 100 or more receptions four times and fell eight yards shy in 2020 from having a run of five consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns. Given his late-season production last year, there's ample reason to be optimistic about his ability to post numbers that exceed his current fifth-round ADP.
Week 17 vs Los Angeles Rams
Keenan Allen had his third game of 14 targets in his last four outings in Week 16, catching 11 balls for a season-high 104 balls against the Colts. He didn't find the end zone for the third game in a row, and a touchdown was all that truly missing from his performance from a fantasy point of view. Allen finished as the WR13 in Half PPR, scoring 15.9 points.
The Rams rank 15th in aFPA to wide receivers, having allowed the eighth most receiving yards to the position in 2022. With Allen firmly entrenched back in the eyes of Justin Herbert, another week of low-end WR1/high-end WR2 numbers surely awaits him.
Week 16 at Indianapolis Colts
Keenan Allen had a very Keenan Allen-like day against the Titans in Week 15. He saw nine targets and caught eight balls for 86 yards, his fourth game in his last five with 80 or more yards. He failed to find the end zone but still managed to finish as the WR19 with 12.6 Half PPR points.
Allen should see a similar workload against the Colts in Week 16. The Colts rank 17th in aFPA to wide receivers this season, despite only allowing the fifth-fewest receiving yards to wideouts this year. Look for Allen to post low-end WR1 numbers in Week 16.
Week 15 vs. Tennessee Titans
Keenan Allen saw 14 targets for the second week in a row against the Dolphins in Week 14. He caught 12 of these looks, a season's best, for 92 yards. These deeds earned him 15.2 Half PPR points, good for WR15 last week.
There should be plenty of opportunities for Allen to continue his recent good form this week. The Titans rank 31st in aFPA to wide receivers, allowing the third-most receptions and receiving yards along with the second-most touchdowns along the way. Allen should be in the top 12 discussion when the dust settles on Week 14.
Week 14 vs Miami Dolphins
Keenan Allen caught six of 14 targets against the Raiders on his way to 88 yards. He also scored his second touchdown in two games on his way to 17.8 Half PPR points, good for WR13 in Week 13 for No. 13. Since returning to the side, Allen has 16 catches for 231 yards and two touchdowns.
Allen faces a tricky matchup against the Dolphins in Week 14. Miami ranks 13th in aFPA to wide receivers and has allowed just eight wide receiver touchdowns all season. Allen should find enough work to finish as a mid-tier WR2 this week.
Week 13 at Las Vegas Raiders
Week 12 was a fairly mixed bag as far as Keenan Allen was concerned. He saw seven targets, of which he caught five including a touchdown. But he only managed 49 yards, and all of this combined meant Allen notched just 13.4 Half PPR points, good for WR22 last week.
Allen will be hoping for better things this week against the Las Vegas Raiders. In 16 career games against the Silver and Black, Allen averages six grabs for 66 yards. The Raiders rank 22nd in aFPA to wide receivers this season, so Allen matching his career averages wouldn't be a complete shock. He's in the WR2 mix this week.
