Thornton
WR · KC vs LV
Proj pts
6.7pts
market
Allen
WR · IND vs WAS
QuestionableProj pts
6.5pts
market
Keenan Allen or Tyquan Thornton: who should I start in Week 4?
Toss-up: lean Tyquan Thornton over Keenan Allen by 0.2. Tyquan Thornton leads at 6.7. Keenan Allen is the first one out, 0.2 short.
Crowd: 44% of managers started Allen.
Availability & news
Keenan AllenQuestionable · Practice: Limited
Allen was a limited participant in Thursday's practice due to a groin injury.(rotowire, Oct 1, 2026)
Highlights
Cons
- Low target share9% target share
- Thin volume3.1 targets/g
Pros
- Favorable matchupFavorable · A- vs WR
Cons
- Rotational snaps56% of snaps
- Shaky floor4.1 floor
Some recent form, opportunity and matchup figures still lean on the 2025 season (not enough games played this season yet).
Week 4 · Updated Tue 29 Sep, 6:00 AM ET
The widest gap between them, in proportion, is red zone targets: Thornton 4, Allen 17.
Allen (Questionable · Practice: Limited): “Allen was a limited participant in Thursday's practice due to a groin injury.” — RotoWire, Oct 1, 2026.
Latest game on the card: Allen 18.3 (PPR points).
Why Tyquan Thornton
Start Tyquan Thornton — projects 6.7, an even matchup vs LV, with a rising role.
Tyquan Thornton projects 6.7 points on a 1.9–8.2 range. The matchup grades as neutral against LV. Usage: targets / game at 3.1. Net: start Tyquan Thornton this week.
Working against Thornton: Low target share (9% target share), Thin volume (3.1 targets/g).
Where Thornton leads the head-to-head: Projection (6.7 vs 6.5); vs season (+0.8 vs +0.3).
Why Keenan Allen
Sit Keenan Allen — projects 6.5, a favorable matchup vs WAS.
Keenan Allen projects 6.5 points on a 4.1–10.2 range. The matchup grades as favorable against WAS. Usage: targets / game at 7.2. Net: bench Keenan Allen this week.
Working for Allen: Favorable matchup (Favorable · A- vs WR).
Working against Allen: Rotational snaps (56% of snaps), Shaky floor (4.1 floor).
Where Allen leads the head-to-head: Floor (4.1 vs 1.9); Ceiling (10.2 vs 8.2); Target share (22% vs 9%); Matchup grade (recency weighted) (A- vs B); Last 3 avg (9.7 vs 5.6); Last 5 avg (8.5 vs 5.6); Consistency (41% vs 36%); Boom rate (24% vs 22%); Bust rate (18% vs 22%); Targets / game (7.2 vs 3.1); Snap share (56% vs 43%); Red zone targets (17 vs 4).
Recent form
Tyquan Thornton's last 3 games: PPR points 0, 4.2, 12.6 (low to high; the card does not say which came first).
Keenan Allen's last 5 games: PPR points 2.7, 10.6, 9.2, 1.5, 18.3 (oldest to newest).
Thornton has already beaten Allen's 6.5 projection in 1 of his 3; Allen has beaten Thornton's 6.7 in 3 of his 5.
At least 1 of these 5 games was played before the 2026 season.
Matchup
Tyquan Thornton (KC) faces LV, kickoff Sun, Oct 4, 4:25 PM ET. The matchup is rated neutral. Betting line: implied team total 26.0, spread -4.5.
Keenan Allen (IND) faces WAS, kickoff Sun, Oct 4, 9:30 AM ET. The matchup is rated favorable. Betting line: implied team total 26.0, spread -3.5.
What flips it
Thornton's edge is 0.2 points (6.7 to 6.5). Allen's ceiling (10.2) clears Thornton's projection, so a big game from Allen flips it. Thornton's floor (1.9) sits under Allen's projection, so a quiet game from Thornton flips it too. Confidence in the call: lower.
More start/sit comparisons from this week's PPR projections. Open a pair for the call and the reasoning.
This week's toughest calls
- Christian Watson or Tee Higgins16.8 · 16.8
- Jaylen Waddle or Matthew Golden15.3 · 15.3
- Makai Lemon or Michael Pittman10.7 · 10.7
- KC Concepcion or Mack Hollins12.1 · 12.2
- Jakobi Meyers or Romeo Doubs11.8 · 11.8
- Malik Washington or Xavier Worthy11.3 · 11.3
- More WR start/sit calls (wide receivers this week)