Getty Geronimo Allison of the Green Bay Packers reacts after catching a pass for a first down in the fourth quarter of a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on September 16, 2018 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The curious case of Geronimo Allison continues to weigh on fantasy football owners who might be hoping the Green Bay Packers slot receiver finally cements a regular role for himself in the offense.
Allison caught four catches for 25 yards in the Packers’ 21-16 victory, hauling in his fifth-career touchdown pass on a 12-yard toss from Aaron Rodgers. He tied running back Aaron Jones as the team’s second-most productive pass-catcher on the afternoon behind Davante Adams (seven catches, 106 yards) and outperformed Marquez Valdes-Scantling, his stiffest competition for the role of the Packers’ No. 2 receiving option.
Geronimo Allison with the catch and the moves 🕺 @813Geronimo
Nevertheless, investments in Allison demand caution after his inconsistent first two weeks. He wasn’t targetted during his 30 offensive snaps against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 but saw much more attention in 31 snaps against the Vikings. The production issue, though, is less about Allison and his playmaking abilities and more about the difficult-to-read Packers offense.
Ten different Packers have caught passes through the first two weeks, half of which are either tight ends or running backs. And both of those running backs, Jones and Jamaal Williams, have been more involved than him in the passing game in terms of receptions and targets.
Whatever upside Allison possesses, it begs the question of whether fantasy owners can count on him to deliver Week 3 against the Denver Broncos.
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Geronimo Allison Fantasy Outlook vs. Denver Broncos
Look, it’s understandable to have Allison still pegged as a breakout candidate this season. The former University of Illinois wideout caught 19 passes for 289 yards through the first four games of the 2018 season before injuries derailed his third year in the pros. If there is a matchup on the schedule where that explosive potential could pop, it is this week at home against an 0-2 Broncos team.
Then again, maybe not.
The Broncos defense does have a glaring weakness, but it isn’t against the passing game. While Denver has housed one of the worst run defenses through early weeks of the season, it has also been among the best at stopping the pass, averaging holding the Oakland Raiders and Bears to an average fewer than 190 passing yards.
Of course, neither Derek Carr nor Mitchell Trubisky is in the same quarterback league as Aaron Rodgers. He and the Packers offense may not have yet looked their complete selves, but a second straight game on their home field could see things sorted out before sundown on Sunday.
The Broncos will focus their best defenders on the Packers’ two starting wideouts, Adams and Valdes-Scantling, which could open up more looks for Allison in the slot. Or … the many other passing options that give Green Bay such versatility.
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Should You Start or Sit Geronimo Allison in Week 3?
Allison has garnered 10.5 points in PPR leagues, according to FantasyPros, just a small ways behind Valdes-Scantling’s 14.1. But projections estimate he’ll finish with about three catches and 40 yards against the Broncos, which happens to fit the bill of his career history. Only seven times in his 32 NFL games has Allison finished with more than 33 yards, and that’s enough to shake any fantasy owner’s confidence.
Final verdict: Allison needs to deliver on his promise more this season before he can truly earn consideration for a wide receiver or FLEX spot, so stash him on the bench a little while longer. Don’t toss him back onto the waiver wire just yet, but be ready to make the cut if his production remains stagnant for a few more weeks.
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