Wide receiver has become the dominant position in all of fantasy football, as young players like Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and CeeDee Lamb (to name a few) are lighting up the stat sheets. Unfortunately, NFL teams looking to make a major splash at the position will find it difficult to accomplish as the free agent market is a bit weak heading into the 2023 offseason. With that said, making a big splash trade these days can help fill a void. Look at what Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill did for their respective new teams. Oh, and let’s not forget about the A.J. Brown impact.
One of the bigger names that could be on the market this offseason is Keenan Allen. Reports suggest he could be a cap casualty for the Los Angeles Chargers, and there would be no shortage of suitors for his services in that sort of scenario.
A long-time fantasy superstar, Allen missed a total of seven games last year due to injuries. When he was active though, the veteran rattled off 752 yards with four touchdowns and averaged 16.4 fantasy points per game. Those are solid totals.
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Here are five teams that could have a need at wide receiver and would be interesting spots for Allen to land next season. Let’s start things off in the Big Apple.
New York Giants
The Giants are still licking their wounds from the Kenny Golladay disaster, and they need wide receivers in a big way. Remember, the team traded Kadarius Toney; Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton are set to become free agents, so Allen would come right in and become a targets machine. He would give Daniel Jones a true No. 1 option at wide receiver, and he’d remain a No. 2 in most PPR leagues.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens always seem to need a wide receiver, right? If Allen becomes a free agent, they’d be foolish not to inquire about the fantasy star. The jury is still out on Rashod Bateman as a pro, and their top wideout from 2022, Demarcus Robinson, is a free agent. Assuming the team retains Lamar Jackson, Allen would be a WR2 option in an offense that might not be so run heavy under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
Top Five Fantasy Landing Spots: Aaron Rodgers | Jimmy Garoppolo | Saquon Barkley | Tony Pollard | JuJu Smith-Schuster | Miles Sanders | Derek Carr | Lamar Jackson | David Montgomery | Josh Jacobs | Jamaal Williams | Kareem Hunt | DeAndre Hopkins | Tee Higgins
New England Patriots
The Patriots could lose Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor as free agents, so they might be looking at free agency for a wideout. Allen could come right in and be that No. 1 option in the passing game for Mac Jones and would pair pretty nicely with DeVante Parker and Tyquan Thornton. There are questions about Jones and the quarterback position, but the Patriots have a big need at wideout to fill for 2023.
Chicago Bears
Is there any team in the NFL more needy at wide receiver than the Bears? Their “No. 1” wideout, Darnell Mooney, is coming off an ankle injury and isn’t a true alpha. N’Keal Harry and Byron Pringle are slated to become free agents, leaving the team with Mooney, Chase Claypool and Equanimeous St. Brown. If Chicago added Allen, it would give Justin Fields a true playmaker in the pass attack.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have a ton of cap space heading into the offseason and have a need for a veteran wide receiver to come in and lead a young receiving corps. In that sense, Allen would be a perfect fit in real football terms. He’d see a hit in draft value from a fantasy standpoint because of the downgrade at quarterback from Justin Herbert to Desmond Ridder, but he would remain in the WR2 conversation.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business to help you win a fantasy championship!
