So the NFL Network is in the process of unveiling its Top 100 players of 2020 list, and as always there's some debate and controversy. Including from the ranked players themselves, like 77th-ranked Keenan Allen.
Allen raised eyebrows complaining about his ranking, while calling out some wide receivers ranked ahead of him: Mike Evans, Tyreek Hill, Chris Godwin. Maybe Allen is right; regardless, probably not the best choice to rip others, especially athletes who had nothing to do with the rankings. Evans responded critically, and there was some back-and-forth, interesting to those who like players arguing with each other.
On Allen's behalf, he does seem to be somewhat underrated. He had some injury issues early in his career, but he's started every game the last three seasons. And in that time very few wide receivers have put up better per-game numbers. In NFL terms, and in fantasy.
Among receivers to start at least half of the last three seasons, only six have put up more fantasy points per game (PPR) than Allen. Hill is one of them; Evans and Godwin are not. Table shows the top 50 over those seasons.
| WIDE RECEIVERS PER GAME, 2017-2019 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | St | No | Yds | Run | TD | PPR |
| Antonio Brown | 30 | 7.0 | 96.2 | .2 | .84 | 21.7 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | 46 | 6.8 | 89.5 | .2 | .70 | 20.0 |
| Michael Thomas | 48 | 7.9 | 91.1 | -.2 | .48 | 19.8 |
| Davante Adams | 41 | 6.5 | 79.7 | .0 | .70 | 18.7 |
| Julio Jones | 47 | 6.4 | 96.1 | .5 | .36 | 18.2 |
| Tyreek Hill | 43 | 5.1 | 81.9 | 5.4 | .67 | 17.9 |
| Keenan Allen | 48 | 6.3 | 78.9 | 2.1 | .40 | 16.8 |
| Julian Edelman | 28 | 6.2 | 70.3 | 5.6 | .46 | 16.6 |
| Mike Evans | 44 | 5.1 | 83.7 | .0 | .52 | 16.5 |
| Adam Thielen | 42 | 5.6 | 73.0 | 1.1 | .48 | 15.9 |
| Chris Godwin | 31 | 4.9 | 75.3 | .3 | .57 | 15.9 |
| Odell Beckham | 32 | 5.5 | 74.7 | 2.8 | .43 | 15.8 |
| Stefon Diggs | 44 | 5.2 | 68.2 | 3.1 | .53 | 15.5 |
| Robert Woods | 43 | 5.4 | 72.9 | 6.6 | .35 | 15.4 |
| A.J. Green | 25 | 4.8 | 70.9 | .0 | .56 | 15.3 |
| Jarvis Landry | 48 | 5.8 | 65.4 | 2.0 | .42 | 15.0 |
| Cooper Kupp | 39 | 5.0 | 66.6 | .7 | .54 | 15.0 |
| Tyler Boyd | 30 | 5.5 | 69.1 | .9 | .40 | 14.9 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | 42 | 5.0 | 68.9 | .3 | .44 | 14.6 |
| DJ Moore | 25 | 5.2 | 70.9 | 6.6 | .20 | 14.1 |
| Marvin Jones | 38 | 4.2 | 62.8 | .0 | .61 | 14.1 |
| Calvin Ridley | 29 | 4.4 | 58.2 | 2.1 | .60 | 14.0 |
| Amari Cooper | 45 | 4.5 | 63.9 | .7 | .49 | 13.9 |
| Allen Robinson | 30 | 5.1 | 63.9 | .4 | .37 | 13.8 |
| T.Y. Hilton | 40 | 4.5 | 68.4 | .0 | .38 | 13.5 |
| Golden Tate | 42 | 5.1 | 58.9 | 1.7 | .37 | 13.4 |
| Alshon Jeffery | 38 | 4.3 | 55.6 | .1 | .55 | 13.2 |
| Kenny Golladay | 42 | 3.9 | 65.0 | .4 | .45 | 13.1 |
| Larry Fitzgerald | 48 | 5.3 | 56.1 | .3 | .35 | 13.0 |
| Sterling Shepard | 37 | 4.9 | 58.9 | 2.9 | .26 | 12.7 |
| Brandin Cooks | 46 | 4.1 | 62.4 | 3.5 | .33 | 12.6 |
| Will Fuller | 28 | 3.9 | 57.0 | .3 | .50 | 12.6 |
| Doug Baldwin | 29 | 4.3 | 55.5 | -.3 | .46 | 12.6 |
| Emmanuel Sanders | 41 | 4.5 | 55.9 | 1.6 | .33 | 12.2 |
| Tyler Lockett | 48 | 3.8 | 53.7 | 2.5 | .44 | 12.1 |
| Michael Gallup | 25 | 3.7 | 61.3 | .0 | .33 | 11.8 |
| Christian Kirk | 25 | 4.4 | 52.0 | 5.1 | .25 | 11.7 |
| Devin Funchess | 27 | 4.0 | 51.4 | .0 | .41 | 11.5 |
| Robby Anderson | 46 | 3.6 | 53.7 | .1 | .40 | 11.4 |
| DeSean Jackson | 29 | 3.4 | 55.2 | 2.3 | .34 | 11.3 |
| DeVante Parker | 39 | 3.9 | 55.9 | .0 | .28 | 11.2 |
| Jamison Crowder | 40 | 4.3 | 50.3 | 1.7 | .28 | 11.2 |
| Courtland Sutton | 32 | 3.6 | 56.8 | .5 | .31 | 11.2 |
| Mike Williams | 31 | 3.0 | 53.7 | 1.0 | .43 | 11.0 |
| Dede Westbrook | 37 | 4.2 | 45.4 | 3.4 | .29 | 10.8 |
| Demaryius Thomas | 42 | 4.2 | 49.0 | .0 | .26 | 10.7 |
| Mohamed Sanu | 45 | 4.2 | 45.5 | 1.5 | .28 | 10.6 |
| Nelson Agholor | 43 | 3.8 | 43.4 | 1.2 | .38 | 10.6 |
| John Brown | 41 | 3.3 | 50.6 | .5 | .36 | 10.5 |
Allen would have probably been wisest to let his play do the talking. Although that might not help him this year, since he'll have some combination of Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert trying to get him the ball instead of Philip Rivers. But regardless, he might have a point in complaining about where he's slotted on the NFL Network's list.
--Andy Richardson