The Chargers, shortly after letting Mike Williams go, traded Keenan Allen to Chicago on Thursday evening for a fourth-round pick. Allen will team up with D.J. Moore to form a dynamic duo for whichever QB the Bears draft with the No. 1 pick — likely Caleb Williams. Los Angeles’ decision leaves Justin Herbert without a true WR1, while the Bears now have two legitimate wideouts. Let’s dig into the fantasy implications.
KEENAN ALLEN
Old ranking: 40th overall on Underdog
New ranking: 58th overall on Underdog
- Allen turns 32 years old in a month, but he was among the best in the NFL last year at earning targets on a per-route basis with a 0.30 targets-per-route-run mark before missing the final four games of the year with a heel injury. Despite his advanced age, Allen was still efficient with his looks, too, notching 8.3 yards per target despite drawing massive attention from opposing defenses after Mike Williams went down early.
- Moore had a true breakout season in 2023 with nearly 1,400 yards, and he remains the favorite to be the rookie QB’s (almost certainly Williams’) WR1 in 2024. However, Allen remains a reliable underneath receiver who can consistently get open. Drafting him is a gamble on both Williams’ success as well as Allen remaining viable despite his age, but the veteran has shown no signs of slowing down just yet. His stock drops now that he’s no longer Herbert’s WR1, but he should still be usable in fantasy, especially in PPR.
OTHER BEARS WRS
- Moore’s 2023 campaign should solidify him as the WR1 in Chicago for 2024 despite Allen’s acquisition, but he now has significantly stronger target competition than he would’ve otherwise with a rookie or a free agent. Still, Moore proved himself as a legit NFL WR1 last season and should maintain that role for 2024. His stock falls slightly from where it was considering Allen still showed elite target-earning ability last year, but the expectation should be that he’s ahead of Allen come September.
- Chicago could still add a WR — Tyler Scott is currently the WR3 after Darnell Mooney‘s exit. However, it’s difficult to imagine any WR commanding fantasy-relevant volume with both Moore and Allen in the picture.
OTHER CHARGERS WRS
- Los Angeles is going to add WR help. The Chargers now have Josh Palmer as their WR1, but they possess significant draft capital and will likely go out and find another wideout in either free agency or the draft. With that being said, they have also signed Gus Edwards and Will Dissly so far, demonstrating an intention, as expected, to go run-heavy under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. It’s slightly difficult to get excited about Justin Herbert since they are going to be running the ball so much.
