Who Should I Start? Keenan Allen or Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Friday, December 26, 9:56 AM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen remains a steady veteran presence, but his fantasy upside is evaporating at the worst possible time. Last week, Allen caught all five of his targets, yet his 47% snap share underscores a concerning trend as he continues to split routes with rookie Tre' Harris. This week's matchup against the Houston Texans is the toughest possible test, as the Texans rank second in completion percentage allowed and third in interception rate. With Houston allowing the fewest passing yards per game and consistently pressuring the quarterback, the aging veteran may struggle to find open windows in a game script expected to be a defensive slog. Fantasy managers in championship matchups should look for higher-upside alternatives. He is merely a low-end WR4/FLEX option this week.

Thursday, December 25, 3:52 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling is slated to operate as, at worst, the No. 2 option in the team's aerial assault for the remainder of the season. Valdes-Scantling was signed to Pittsburgh's practice squad at the beginning of November, although he hadn't earned a snap until their Week 14 win over the Ravens. Since then, the 31-year-old has pulled in just 2-of-5 targets for 25 yards and a touchdown. However, the veteran is poised for a significant uptick in playing time following teammate DK Metcalf's suspension stemming from an altercation with a fan. Valdes-Scantling doesn't project to see a ton of volume, but he should see some valuable downfield targets. In fact, he just missed hauling in a long TD in Week 16's victory against the Lions. With fellow wideout Calvin Austin III (hamstring) also in danger of missing this Sunday's outing, Valdes-Scantling projects to operate behind Adam Thielen as the team's top two pass-catchers when they square off with the Cleveland Browns.