Who Should I Start? Keenan Allen or Christian Kirk

Friday, October 17, 6:19 PM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen is coming off his lowest snap rate (56.3%) and second-lowest route rate (66.7%) of the season, posting just four catches for 27 yards on seven targets against the Miami Dolphins last week. He was out-targeted by both Ladd McConkey and rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden, even with teammate Quentin Johnston (hamstring) sidelined. While his declining usage is concerning, Allen has a favorable matchup against a middle-tier, banged-up Indianapolis Colts pass defense, particularly against DB Mekhi Blackmon, who is allowing an average of 11.3 yards per target. Historically, Allen performs better with Johnston on the field, so the latter's likely return could relieve some pressure on the veteran. RotoBaller ranks Allen as WR25 this week, making him a high-end WR3/FLEX option with potential upside in a shootout, but managers should be cautious of his decreasing volume.

Friday, October 17, 8:57 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk (hamstring) popped up on the Week 7 injury report on Friday and was listed as a limited participant in practice. It's unclear if Kirk injured his hamstring on Thursday or if the Texans were just giving the 28-year-old a maintenance day, but we should know more on his status for the Monday night game in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. It's worth keeping in mind that Kirk missed the start of the season due to a hamstring injury. If it's an aggravation of the same injury and he's forced to miss this week, it would mean more snaps and targets for rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, and Xavier Hutchinson behind WR1 Nico Collins. Nobody outside of Collins in Houston has really been fantasy relevant this year, with Kirk catching just 10 of 16 targets for 109 yards and no touchdowns this year in his first three games with the team.