Who Should I Start? Keenan Allen or Christian Kirk

Friday, January 2, 9:33 PM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen has recorded 74 catches for 741 yards and four touchdowns on 109 targets in 16 games in 2025 in his return to the team. The six-time Pro Bowler has been a trustworthy aerial weapon for quarterback Justin Herbert, but the 33-year-old is limping to the finish line and had just one catch on three targets for 17 yards in last week's loss to the Houston Texans. It was the first time since the 2020 season that Allen was limited to just one catch. Allen has not found the end zone in a game since Oct. 19 and has cleared the 50-yard mark just once in the last nine contests. In the first seven games of the season, Allen went over 50 receiving yards five times while scoring all four of his TDs. The veteran pass-catcher has run out of momentum and makes for a poor fantasy lineup option in Week 18 against the Broncos with backup quarterback Trey Lance running things.

Friday, December 26, 9:03 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk is coming off one of his best games of the season last week against the Raiders, as the veteran played his most snaps (39) since Week 9 and had his most targets (5) since Week 12. He'll have a tougher matchup this week against the Chargers on Saturday and is a high-risk play for fantasy purposes since his role is still extremely shaky. He finishes second on the team in receiving yards and tied for second in targets last week, though, so it's possible he'll continue to trend up as the Texans continue their playoff push. Since he only has 25 catches for 241 yards and a touchdown this season, Kirk is a high-risk option in this tough matchup in Los Angeles, and he's just the No. 67 WR in RotoBaller's rankings. He can be left on the bench or waiver wire in most leagues, but it is worth monitoring his involvement to see if last week's performance was a matchup-based outlier or the start of a trend.