Keenan Allen or Mike Evans: Who Should You Start?

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

Start Evans — Allen is ruled out.

Keenan Allen is ruled out, which settles it: Mike Evans is the only startable side of this call. Evans projects 11.8 PPR points.

Keenan Allen

Keenan Allen

WR59INDvs WSH

Projected Points

OUT — verdict voidSit· high
Mike Evans

Mike Evans

WR31SFvs DEN

Projected Points

Toss-Up

Mike Evans’s market

ATD
Anytime TD
+155
Anytime Touchdown Props →
IND@
WSHSun, Oct 4, 9:30 AM ETView the game →
DEN@
SFSun, Oct 4, 4:25 PM ETView the game →

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
Fantasy football last-minute pickups for Week 4: Raymond, Waller among top options

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

ESPN · Oct 3, 2026
Sources: Colts' Keenan Allen faces minimum 3-game suspension

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.

Why Mike Evans

Toss-Up

Veteran WR1 and contested-catch X. Big-bodied red-zone target with sustained vertical production.

Toss-up — WR31 consensus, projects WR29 this week: DEN is the 9th-toughest matchup vs WRs, 24.5 implied team total.

  • Carries a Questionable tag — usually plays, but monitor the final report.
  • DEN ranks 9 of 32 against WRs (one of the tougher matchups, 3-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 24.5 team points as 2.5-point favorites.
  • Listed WR on the latest depth chart with a 54% snap share.

Latest on Evans

Status

Evans returned to practice in a limited capacity Friday after missing Wednesday and Thursday's sessions.

Three Players Ruled Out vs. Broncos in Week 4; Mike Evans Questionable Ahead of #DENvsSF49ers.com · Oct 2, 2026
Status

Mike Evans was limited in Friday's practice after missing Wednesday and Thursday.

49ers WR Mike Evans a gametime decision with rib injuryESPN · Oct 2, 2026
Status

Mike Evans is questionable for Sunday's game and will be a game-time decision.

Three Players Ruled Out vs. Broncos in Week 4; Mike Evans Questionable Ahead of #DENvsSF49ers.com, ESPN · Oct 2, 2026
Mike Evans optimistic about playing

Nick Wagoner reports Mike Evans remains questionable but is optimistic he can play through his rib injury Sunday.

VideoESPN · Oct 2, 2026
Evans, Williams, Greenlaw don't have long-term injuries, 49ers say

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that injuries sustained by Mike Evans, Trent Williams and Dre Greenlaw on Sunday aren't considered long-term issues.

ESPN · Sep 28, 2026
49ers get positive injury news on WR Mike Evans

Nick Wagoner details the positive developments with Mike Evans' rib injury.

VideoESPN · Sep 28, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

MetricKeenan AllenMike Evans
Projected points
Consensus rankWR59WR31
Opponent vs positionWSH · 30 of 323-game sampleDEN · 9 of 323-game sample
Receptions32 of 321 of 32
Receiving Yards30 of 3215 of 32
Receiving TDs31 of 328 of 32
Targets28 of 3212 of 32
Anytime TD31 of 327 of 32
Target share21%20%
Reception share20%20%
Implied total · spread24.5+1.524.5-2.5
Depth chartWR2WR1
Snap share64%54%
Injury designationoutquestionable
Start/Sit record—1–1+1 toss-up

Recent form

Keenan Allen — last 3 weeks

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

Mike Evans — last 3 weeks

Week 3vs ARI
Week 2vs MIA
Week 1vs LAR

Signal breakdown

  • 11.3 vs 11.8 projected PPR pointsMike Evans +
  • Rank 59 vs 31Mike Evans +
  • Opponent DvP rank 30 vs 9 (32 = softest)Keenan Allen +
  • Implied 24.5 vs 24.5 team pointseven
  • A ruled-out player cannot be a startMike Evans +
  • 64% vs 54% snap shareKeenan Allen +

Compare different players

Week 4211 players
Player A
vs
Player B

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

More Allen comparisons

More Evans comparisons

This week’s toughest calls

Start/Sit Board•Weekly Rankings•Streamers•Sleepers & Busts•Waiver Wire•My Team•MLB NRFI Board•Free Tools•NFL Props•NFL Games

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.