Keenan Allen or Malik Nabers: Who Should You Start?
Historical comparison from 2026 Week 4 — one of these players isn’t on the current board.
Start Nabers — Allen is ruled out.
Keenan Allen is ruled out, which settles it: Malik Nabers is the only startable side of this call. Nabers projects 13.6 PPR points.
Keenan Allen
6.68.911.3 Projected Points
Malik Nabers
9.211.413.6 Projected Points
Why Keenan Allen
Sit· highVeteran 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
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, 2026Added to Week 4 injury report Thursday limited with groin injury after resting Wednesday.
Colts Wire · Oct 1, 2026If injuries or tough matchups have you seeking help, Matt Bowen provides options at each key position.
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.
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Why Malik Nabers
StartWR1 and offensive centerpiece. Explosive separator with elite YAC, returning from a season-ending injury.
Start — every-week WR start at consensus WR15: 26.3 implied team total, 23% target share.
- ARI ranks 19 of 32 against WRs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 3-game sample).
- Vegas implies 26.3 team points as 7.0-point favorites.
- Listed WR on the latest depth chart with a 68% snap share.
Latest on Nabers
Jordan Raanan explains why the upcoming game against the Cardinals could be big for Malik Nabers.
View the injury report for the Week 3 matchup between the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium.
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is believed to have sustained a sprained MCL on Monday night based on initial exams, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. He will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Head-to-head stats
| Metric | Keenan Allen | Malik Nabers |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 6.68.911.3 | 9.211.413.6 |
| Consensus rank | WR59 | WR15 |
| Opponent vs position | WSH · 30 of 323-game sample | ARI · 19 of 323-game sample |
| Receptions | 32 of 32 | 5 of 32 |
| Receiving Yards | 30 of 32 | 22 of 32 |
| Receiving TDs | 31 of 32 | 31 of 32 |
| Targets | 28 of 32 | 8 of 32 |
| Anytime TD | 31 of 32 | 31 of 32 |
| Target share | 21% | 23% |
| Reception share | 20% | 24% |
| Implied total · spread | 24.5+1.5 | 26.3-7.0 |
| Depth chart | WR2 | WR1 |
| Snap share | 64% | 68% |
| Injury designation | out | — |
| Start/Sit record | — | 0–0+1 toss-up |
Recent form
Keenan Allen — last 3 weeks
| Week 3 | vs HOU | 12.315.318.3 |
| Week 2 | vs KC | 0.51.01.5 |
| Week 1 | vs BAL | 3.26.29.2 |
Malik Nabers — last 3 weeks
| Week 3 | vs TEN | 2.65.17.6 |
| Week 2 | vs LAR | 0.10.61.1 |
| Week 1 | vs DAL | 6.99.912.9 |
Signal breakdown
- 11.3 vs 13.6 projected PPR pointsMalik Nabers +
- Rank 59 vs 15Malik Nabers +
- Opponent DvP rank 30 vs 19 (32 = softest)Keenan Allen +
- Implied 24.5 vs 26.3 team pointsMalik Nabers +
- A ruled-out player cannot be a startMalik Nabers +
- 64% vs 68% snap shareMalik Nabers +
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