At 32 years old, Allen is in the back half of his career. While with the Chargers, he was Justin Herbert’s primary (and pretty much only) target, averaging over nine receptions per game. But he joins a deep WR room in Chicago featuring DJ Moore as the top dog. Add in a rookie Quarterback in Caleb Williams and a suspect offensive line; I can see Allen having his worst year yet.
The Lions simply have too many skilled players and not enough balls to go around. With Jahmyr Gibbs taking more reps in training camp and practicing wide receiver routes, he is looking like the breakout star this year. Montgomery will get the hard carries, including the goal line, but he is not really involved in the passing game. If the Lions score more from outside the ten or on longer plays, that reduces his chance at touchdowns. I don’t see Monty repeating his career highs this season, including a steep decline in touchdowns.
Josh Jacobs came out of nowhere to have a great season in 2022, but last year, he regressed massively, declining 29% in yards per attempt and yards after contact. Green Bay believes it was just a bad year all around in Las Vegas and signed Jacobs to a massive four-year deal. They are just hoping he can stay on the field more than Aaron Jones. There are questions around the Packers offensive line, and even more worrisome is the emergence of rookie running back Marshawn Lloyd. Word out of camp is Lloyd is out playing Jacobs, and we could be looking at a 50/50 timeshare, severely limiting Jacobs’s stud status.
For running backs, volume is king in fantasy. Jones missed six games last year with knee and hamstring injuries and turns 30 this year. The Vikings have plenty of playmakers on offense, including Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson. Even with quarterbacks like Sam Darnold and JJ McCarthy, there is a lot of talent to throw to. We will have to see in pre-season, but there have also been reports out of training camp that Ty Chandler is looking good, and a timeshare is a good possibility.
