Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images. Pictured: Keenan Allen.
Fantasy football owners sweating out Keenan Allen’s status didn’t get the late night Adam Schefter tweet they were hoping for.
According to Schefter, Allen (questionable) is not expected to play on Sunday for the Chargers against the Broncos. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport called Allen a game-time decision.
That’s bad news for fantasy managers counting on one of the league’s best targets in championship weeks, especially with late notice. Allen was in Sean Koerner’s 5th Tier of wide receivers this week before the injury.
Perhaps you were already prepared for this outcome. If not, you’ve come to the right place.
The player getting the biggest bump in our experts’ rankings is Mike Williams. Tyron Johnson’s ceiling raises without Allen playing, too. Jalen Guyton was the Chargers’ leading receiver last week with 91 yards on four catches with a limited Allen on the field.
Mike Williams Fantasy Rankings
Below are our experts’ rankings for Williams as a WR.
Standard Ranking
Consensus: 23
Koerner: 40
Raybon: 45
Freedman: 11
PPR Ranking
Consensus: 33
Koerner: 45
Raybon: 49
Freedman: 11
If Williams isn’t on your bench and you need to look to the wire for last-minute help, our waiver wire article from earlier this week is a good place to start.
With under 40 percent ownership, consider John Brown, Allen Lazard, Jakobi Meyers or Russell Gage, among others.
From Mike Randle’s waiver wire story on Gage:
Gage took advantage of Julio Jones’ absence to turn 10 targets into five receptions, 68 yards, and a touchdown. Gage now has two touchdowns (one thrown) in the past two games.
He is a volume-dependent fantasy play, but should see a ton of opportunities at Kansas City in Week 16. It will likely be a negative game-script dominant game.
Calvin Ridley is the clear WR1, but if Jones sits again, Gage is a more than serviceable WR3 play in the fantasy championship.
The decision ultimately comes down to risk vs. reward. Should Allen play, it’s likely he’s still compromised and capable of one catch for 17 yards, like he was in Week 15.
He’s also still Keenan Allen, and capable of big things if he’s active. If you have a comfortable lead or are considered a favorite in your matchup, Allen probably isn’t worth the risk.