The question with Keenan Allen is, can he start off the 2014 NFL Season where he left off or will he be another victim of the dreaded Sophomore Slump? There’s been WR’s like Julio Jones, A.J. Green and Randy Moss who have excelled better than their rookie season. There’s also been guys like Anquan Boldin, Eddie Royal and Mike Williams who have killed the Fantasy Owners who bought the hype their Sophomore year. Keenan Allen has the talent, he has the height, he has the hands and you could argue that he has the Quarterback. What he doesn’t have going for him in 2014 is the speed and the schedule.
Take a look at Allen’s schedule and the corners he will square up against in 2014.
Week 1: @ARI – Patrick Peterson: 2nd best corner in the league.
Week 2: SEA – Richard Sherman: Best corner in the league.
Week 6/11: OAK – Brown/Rogers: Rival Game – Two former 49er corners who are very physical.
Week 8/15: DEN – Aqib Talib: The 4th best corner in the NFL.
Week 9: @MIA – Brent Grimes: An easy Top 10 corner in the NFL.
Week 12: STL – Johnson/Jenkins duo: A sleeper and emerging Top Defense in the NFL.
Week 13: @BAL – Ladarius Webb: The guy that pushed Ed Reed out, but played most of 2013 hurt. By no means is he a slouch, especially in Baltimore.
Week 14: NE – Revis: The 3rd best corner in the league.
Week 16: @SF – Tramaine Brock: The Fantasy Championship Week – a stout 49ers Defense at the end of the season when they’re fighting for a Division Title.
The Fantasy Playoffs (Weeks 14-16) are equally as hard as the beginning of the season for Allen. This, obviously, is the most important part of the season for Fantasy Owners. Those of you drafting Allen as you WR1 – Keep in mind he’s going up against Darrelle Revis in your first Fantasy Playoff Matchup in Week 14. If you are able to squeeze a win, the next week is just as hard as he squares off against Aqib Talib. And if you make it to the Fantasy Championship in Week 16, the Chargers will travel to San Francisco where the 49ers will be battling for a Division Title over Seattle, an obvious crucial game. I can picture it now – a very loud atmosphere, a pumped up secondary and a 55 yard performance from Allen.
With Malcolm Floyd back in the receiving corps, the likely emergence of TE Ladarius Green and a whole offseason of Defenses to study the now well-known Keenan Allen – It’s hard to draft Allen at his current ADP and rank him inside the Top 10. There’s plenty of factors that will play a part in his 2014 production, but looking ahead 4 months from now, it’s not promising – And you want promising from your WR1.