Who Should I Start? Keenan Allen or Jaylen Waddle

Tuesday, December 24, 12:37 AM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen has been a touchdown machine lately, and he has a good chance to return to the end zone during Thursday night's contest against the Seattle Seahawks. Allen has five touchdowns over his last five games, ranking as the overall WR6 in PPR leagues during that span. He has just 3.2 fewer fantasy points than Ja'Marr Chase during that window, and he ranks ahead of stars like Mike Evans, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, A.J. Brown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. While most of Allen's productivity can be attributed to his sudden spurt of touchdowns, we can't ignore that he has been a high-volume option for Caleb Williams, racking up nine receptions and 141 yards against the Detroit Lions in Week 16. As it stands, Allen may be the most dependable fantasy option in Chicago. He should continue to be deployed as a mid-to-low WR2 option for Week 17, especially as he faces a Seahawks defense allowing the fourth-most touchdowns to opposing wide receivers in 2024.

Wednesday, December 25, 9:30 PM

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (knee) was estimated as a non-participant on Wednesday's injury report. The Dolphins didn't hold an official practice, but if they had, Waddle would not have participated. This is a concerning start to the week for Waddle, who missed last Sunday's game after being a non-participant the whole week prior. He still has a few days to get healthy and log a limited or full practice session, but if that doesn't happen, he'll likely sit out Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns. Simply put, fantasy managers should stay tuned for key updates on his status over the next few days. If he can't play, Malik Washington would likely step up as the Dolphins' No. 2 receiver behind Tyreek Hill (wrist, rest).