Who Should I Start? Keenan Allen or Michael Thomas

Friday, November 28, 5:35 PM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen was a rare bright spot in the team's disastrous loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, leading the team with four receptions for 53 yards on six targets. Despite his route rate recently increasing, Allen's target rate has stabilized at around five targets per game, and he has only seen one red-zone target over the last four contests, limiting his overall upside. He faces a favorable matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, who play zone coverage at the second-highest rate in the league. Allen is significantly more effective against zone coverage than man, making him a reliable, high-floor target for the often under-pressure Justin Herbert. RotoBaller ranks Allen as WR41 this week, reflecting concerns over his decreased usage and limited red-zone opportunities. Given his favorable zone matchup and reliability in moving the chains, Allen can be considered a sneaky FLEX option.

Wednesday, September 11, 8:40 PM

The National Football League on Wednesday announced that it has lifted the suspension of free-agent wide receiver Michael Thomas. Thomas was suspended for the first game of the 2024 NFL season for an incident with a construction worker near his home last year. The fact that the 31-year-old remained without a team all offseason is a sign that he may struggle to latch on with an organization despite the fact that he's past his one-game suspension. Just several years ago, Thomas was the best receiver in the league, but injuries have limited him to 20 games since the start of the 2020 campaign, and he played in just 10 games with the New Orleans Saints last year before a knee injury ended his season. He caught 39 passes for 448 yards and one touchdown in 2023. Thomas belongs on the waiver wire in all leagues and is unlikely to be on the fantasy radar in 2024.