In The Blitz, RotoViz writers react to the latest news and help you place it within the context of our 2020 research and recommendations.
I love stories and character arcs of individuals overcoming adversity. Many people, I would assume, would agree with me. We love the underdog story of someone defeating the odds and rising to their fullest potential. This is precisely how I feel about wide receiver Keenan Allen. Admittedly, he’s been a staple of many fantasy leagues of mine for several years. He’s a fun player to own and root for, and he’s been nothing short of phenomenal in recent years. For as great as he’s been, he posted a career day in Week 11.
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen put together a career day in Week 11 versus the New York Jets. Allen was targeted 19 times on Sunday and caught 16 balls for 145 yards and a touchdown. Allen’s 16 catches is a new franchise record for most receptions in a game in Chargers history. The wide receiver has been heavily targeted all season long and remains a WR1 in all formats. Allen will draw a favorable matchup against a poor Buffalo Bills secondary in Week 12.
From Injury Prone To Elite Wideout
It’s hard for me to believe Allen is in his eighth season. It’s truly been a tale of two careers, though. He broke out as a rookie when he topped 100 targets, 70 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards, and tacked on eight touchdowns. However, in his first season and three that followed, he failed to appear in all 16 games. The injury-prone label was tossed on, and his value plummeted.
It almost doesn’t seem fair. In the games he played, Allen was still productive, and he played in 29 of 32 games across his first two years. However, the fantasy community is quick to dismiss players with recurring injuries and, even when they start to produce, fail to believe that it’s true. However, in his three years following the chart above, Allen appeared in every game each season and finished as a WR1 for three consecutive years. Heading into this season, even with the quarterback change, I expressed belief in Allen and his talent.
