Chicago Bears WR Keenan Allen entered Week 1 listed on the NFL injury report with a foot issue, causing concern for fantasy football managers. He has been listed on the Bears injury report all week and is now questionable to play on Sunday.
Let’s look at the latest injury update for Allen and what it all means for his 2024 fantasy outlook.
What Is the Latest on Keenan Allen’s Injury?
Allen was absent from practice last Wednesday out of the blue with a foot issue. However, general manager Ryan Poles told reporters that the “injury” was minor discomfort related to a cleat issue. Therefore, this isn’t expected to be an issue for Allen going forward.
Allen was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday due to a heel injury. Even though he remained limited on Thursday, there was no major concern about his missing time. Then, on Friday, there was mixed news, with Allen able to practice in full but still listed as questionable on the injury report.
We have seen reports of the NFL being strict with teams about their injury reports, so some of those could just be an abundance of caution for the Bears. Head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters that Allen’s “outlook looks good” for playing Sunday.
Additionally, the reports early Sunday morning from the NFL insiders suggest that Allen is expected to suit up. However, what we do not know is what that looks like in terms of a snap count. If Allen is active, will he play a full range of plays or see closer to 50% of his normal workload? That makes this a tricky proposition for fantasy managers.
If Allen does miss time or is limited, Rome Odunze would likely be the main beneficiary. Allen and Moore are expected to be on the field in two receiver sets, a role that Odunze would likely fill if Allen were absent. The worst-case scenario here will be if Allen is active but limited because it could make both Allen and Odunze hard to trust.
Allen’s Week 1 Fantasy Outlook
The 32-year-old has had a weird offseason. For the first time in his career, he has switched teams, and, likely, for the first time in his life, his athletic ability is being questioned. I’m not overweighing the #FatKeenan narrative, but there is no denying that Rome Odunze has looked quick this summer or that Allen has missed 11 games over the past two seasons.
Allen thrived last season thanks to catching a pass on a career-high 20.6% of his routes. He benefited from the extreme volume, which I think has virtually no chance of repeating this season. I’m taking the patient approach with the non-Moore receivers in Chicago. This offense should be strong enough to support two pass catchers; we just need proof of who that second man is going to be.
By the time bye weeks roll around, I suspect we will have a pretty clear picture of where the targets are going, which will land two Bear WRs inside my top 30 instead of two outside my top 35.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst