Fantasy Football Impact Of A Potential Keenan Allen Suspension
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Veteran WR free-agent signing for the Indianapolis Colts, Keenan Allen, was recently arrested. He faces two preliminary misdemeanor charges: operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and driving with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher.
NFL Reporter for Front Office Sports, Mark Maske, said the following on X regarding the situation with Allen.
“Keenan Allen faces a potential suspension by the NFL. The NFL's substances of abuse policy says that absent “aggravating circumstances,” discipline for a first offense of a violation of the law involving alcohol will be a three-game suspension without pay. Aggravating circumstances could lead to a longer suspension, the policy says, and subsequent violations without aggravating circumstances result in an eight-game suspension without pay.”
Josh Downs Fantasy Outlook
The main player hurt by the signing of Allen in fantasy was Colts WR Josh Downs. They both provide similar route trees, making an impact on short and medium routes, and even with Allen being 34 years old, he is sure to limit Downs' fantasy ceiling.
Allen, in his 13-year NFL career, has recorded over 700 receiving yards 12 times. The one time he did not was in 2016, when he only played one game. In 2025, with the Los Angeles Chargers, he had 81 receptions for 777 receiving yards and four TDs.
If Allen misses the first few games due to suspension, Downs could be a startable fantasy player. That is true even coming off a season when he was not startable in fantasy.
In 2025, Downs had 58 receptions (career low), 566 receiving yards (career low), and four TDs. Going into 2026, he will have the biggest role he has had since being drafted by the Colts. That comes from WR1 for Indianapolis over the last few seasons, Michael Pittman Jr., now being on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Downs' current ADP in fantasy PPR formats in ESPN leagues is WR51, and in Sleeper leagues it is WR44.
Alec Pierce Fantasy Outlook
After some injury concerns in the lead-up to the regular season, Alec Pierce is trending toward being available in Week 1. He was dealing with heel and ankle pain that required surgery in the offseason. Pierce recently made his first practice appearance of the offseason on Thursday, Aug. 27.
ALEC PIERCE IS SO BACK 🔥 pic.twitter.com/X0w5NIazci
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) August 28, 2026
Injuries should not be a huge concern for fantasy managers with Pierce moving forward. In his four-year career, Pierce has played in 64 of 68 regular-season games. In 2025, he appeared in a career-low 15 games.
Pierce signed a four-year, $114 million contract extension in the offseason with the Colts. And while Pierce was paid as a WR1, he has not proven in a large sample that he can be one. Over his career, he has mainly been a deep threat.
Last season, Pierce averaged 21.3 yards per reception. That was the highest average of any player in the NFL.
Pierce in PPR formats has a current ADP in ESPN leagues of WR37, and in Sleeper leagues, his ADP is WR40. In PPR fantasy formats in 2025, he finished as WR28, one spot ahead of his new teammate Allen.
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Gray Deyo is a Nashville-based sportswriter who graduated with a sports management bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has covered prep sports, college sports, the WNBA, and the NBA for the past four years. In addition to writing for SI, Gray also currently contributes to Prep Girls Hoops