Colston Loveland or Keenan Allen: Who Should You Start?

2026 Week 4 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Start Loveland — Allen is ruled out.

Keenan Allen is ruled out, which settles it: Colston Loveland is the only startable side of this call. Loveland projects 8.6 PPR points.

Colston Loveland

Colston Loveland

TE3CHIvs NYJ

Projected Points

Sit
Keenan Allen

Keenan Allen

WR59INDvs WSH

Projected Points

OUT — verdict voidSit· high

Colston Loveland’s market

REC
O/U 3.5
-104 / -123
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 34.5
-110 / -114
Receiving Yards Props →

Why Colston Loveland

Sit

TE1 and pass-catching mismatch. Seam-stretching move tight end with flex alignment and rising target volume.

Sit — TE3 consensus, projects TE18 this week: NYJ is the 4th-toughest matchup vs TEs, 10% target share.

  • NYJ ranks 4 of 32 against TEs (one of the tougher matchups, 3-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 27.0 team points as 8.5-point favorites.
  • Listed TE on the latest depth chart with a 84% snap share.

Latest on Loveland

The tight end has one catch and faces a tough Eagles defense on MNF. With no Caleb Williams, can he get going?

ESPN · Sep 28, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Keenan Allen

Sit· high

Veteran possession WR in a crowded receiver room. Elite route craft and reliable hands on third downs.

Ruled out this week: Keenan Allen's 'out' status means zero points, overriding a soft WSH matchup (30 of 32) and a 21% target share.

  • Currently ruled out — not a viable start until his status changes.
  • WSH ranks 30 of 32 against WRs (one of the softer matchups, 3-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 24.5 team points as 1.5-point underdogs.
  • Listed WR-2 on the latest depth chart with a 64% snap share.

The call

  • Availability is the whole story: he is listed out, so he cannot score and has to come out of any lineup.
  • The matchup would have helped. WSH ranks 30 of 32 against WRs, though that comes from a 3-game sample with 0.25 confidence, and his team's implied total is a healthy 24.5.
  • When active, his role was usable but not elite: WR-2 with a 64% snap share and a 21% target share, which lines up with a WR59 consensus rank and an 11.3-point projection.
  • Plug in any active replacement-level receiver. A zero from an inactive player is the worst outcome in a lineup slot.

Latest on Allen

Status

Keenan Allen has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders with a groin injury.

Colts WR Keenan Allen (groin) out vs. Commanders in LondonESPN · Oct 3, 2026
StatusPreviously

Added to Week 4 injury report Thursday limited with groin injury after resting Wednesday.

Colts Wire · Oct 1, 2026

If injuries or tough matchups have you seeking help, Matt Bowen provides options at each key position.

ESPN · Oct 3, 2026

Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen, who was formally charged last week with two misdemeanor offenses stemming from his drunken driving arrest in downtown Indianapolis last month, is facing a minimum three-game suspension, sources told ESPN.

ESPN · Sep 20, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

MetricColston LovelandKeenan Allen
Projected points
Consensus rankTE3WR59
Opponent vs positionNYJ · 4 of 323-game sampleWSH · 30 of 323-game sample
Receptions8 of 3232 of 32
Receiving Yards8 of 3230 of 32
Receiving TDs1 of 3231 of 32
Targets3 of 3228 of 32
Anytime TD1 of 3231 of 32
Target share10%21%
Reception share8%20%
Implied total · spread27.0-8.524.5+1.5
Depth chartTE1WR2
Snap share84%64%
Injury designation—out

Recent form

Colston Loveland — last 3 weeks

Week 3vs PHI
Week 2vs MIN
Week 1vs CAR

Keenan Allen — last 3 weeks

Week 3vs HOU
Week 2vs KC
Week 1vs BAL

Signal breakdown

  • 8.6 vs 11.3 projected PPR pointsKeenan Allen +
  • Rank 3 vs 59Colston Loveland +
  • Opponent DvP rank 4 vs 30 (32 = softest)Keenan Allen +
  • Implied 27.0 vs 24.5 team pointsColston Loveland +
  • A ruled-out player cannot be a startColston Loveland +
  • 84% vs 64% snap shareColston Loveland +

Compare different players

Week 4211 players
Player A
vs
Player B

Every fantasy-relevant player this week — search or filter by position.

This week’s toughest calls

Get a Start/Sit call on your whole roster →

Save your team once and see a Start, Sit, or Toss-Up verdict on every player, every week — with the matchup, usage and game-script evidence behind each call.

Add to My Team — free

Or browse this week’s NFL games or NFL player props.