Los Angeles Chargers QB Easton Stick is set to make his NFL starting debut against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football after Justin Herbert received season-ending surgery on his index finger.
However, Stick will be without the reliable veteran WR Keenan Allen in his first start due to a heel injury, which means WR Joshua Palmer could be in for a leading role upon his return to the starting lineup.
Can you trust Palmer in your fantasy football lineup with Stick under center in Week 15? Let’s take a closer look.
Should You Start Joshua Palmer in Week 15?
It’s very difficult to know what to expect from this Chargers offense heading into their matchup against the Raiders. The only real sample size we have to go off of for Stick was his action against the Denver Broncos last week, where he threw for 179 yards, got sacked twice, and fumbled twice in a little over a half of football.
When you remove Allen from the equation, this could thrust Palmer into a big role at the WR position for a group that features Quentin Johnston and Jalen Guyton. But with Stick being a bit of an unknown heading into this game, it’s a bit difficult to project Palmer’s workload against Las Vegas.
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Before sustaining his knee injury in their Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears, Palmer saw 7+ targets and produced 60+ yards in three straight games with an expanded role after Mike Williams went down with a season-ending injury.
Palmer should get plenty of work tonight, but the efficiency is a wild card for fantasy managers who considering trusting Palmer in their fantasy lineup in Week 15.
Trending Start/Sit Searches for Palmer
Did you know that we have a Start/Sit Optimizer here at Pro Football Network?! It’s completely free to use, and it allows you to enter in up to six players to find the best option to plug into your starting lineup!
It also allows us to see the most popular trending searches, and we’ve jotted some of them down here to help provide some clarity!
Should You Start Palmer or Tee Higgins?
The Jake Browning experiment in Cincinnati is going far better for the team’s success than many expected. Unfortunately, that success hasn’t been very fantasy-friendly to WR Tee Higgins.
Over the last two games, Higgins has just five receptions on seven targets and no scores. To be fair, Higgins did have 72 yards on just two receptions last Sunday, which proves the big-play ability is still present.
The one reason why I’m willing to roll with Higgins this week is because I feel far more confident in Browning than I do Stick heading into Week 15.
Should You Start Palmer or Gabe Davis?
Buffalo Bills WR Gabe Davis has failed to catch a pass in three of his last five games. Let that sink in.
I would split my pick into two recommendations heading into Week 15. If you’re projected to lose your fantasy playoff matchup by 25+ points and need a huge performance from one of these two players, then I would swing for the fences with Davis because of his ceiling with Josh Allen under center.
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However, if you’re asking me who I think is the safer player to get you a decent day of fantasy production this week? The answer is Palmer, who should see a healthy volume of looks in the passing game in a severely depleted receiver room for the Chargers heading into Thursday Night Football.
Kyle Soppe’s Week 15 WR Rankings
1) CeeDee Lamb | DAL (at BUF)
2) A.J. Brown | PHI (at SEA)
3) Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET (vs. DEN)
4) Tyreek Hill | MIA (vs. NYJ)
5) Mike Evans | TB (at GB)
6) Michael Pittman Jr. | IND (vs. PIT)
7) Justin Jefferson | MIN (at CIN)
8) Stefon Diggs | BUF (vs. DAL)
9) Chris Olave | NO (vs. NYG)
10) DJ Moore | CHI (at CLE)
11) Nico Collins | HOU (at TEN)
12) Deebo Samuel | SF (at ARI)
13) Cooper Kupp | LAR (vs. WAS)
14) Brandon Aiyuk | SF (at ARI)
15) Davante Adams | LV (vs. LAC)
16) DeVonta Smith | PHI (at SEA)
17) DK Metcalf | SEA (vs. PHI)
18) Courtland Sutton | DEN (at DET)
19) Puka Nacua | LAR (vs. WAS)
20) Ja’Marr Chase | CIN (vs. MIN)
21) Jaylen Waddle | MIA (vs. NYJ)
22) Rashee Rice | KC (at NE)
23) Jayden Reed | GB (vs. TB)
24) DeAndre Hopkins | TEN (vs. HOU)
25) Brandin Cooks | DAL (at BUF)
26) Zay Flowers | BAL (at JAX)
27) Terry McLaurin | WAS (at LAR)
28) Garrett Wilson | NYJ (at MIA)
29) Calvin Ridley | JAX (vs. BAL)
30) Amari Cooper | CLE (vs. CHI)
31) Drake London | ATL (at CAR)
32) Adam Thielen | CAR (vs. ATL)
33) Tyler Lockett | SEA (vs. PHI)
34) Jakobi Meyers | LV (vs. LAC)
35) Odell Beckham Jr. | BAL (at JAX)
36) Noah Brown | HOU (at TEN)
37) Diontae Johnson | PIT (at IND)
38) Marquise Brown | ARI (vs. SF)
39) Jerry Jeudy | DEN (at DET)
40) Zay Jones | JAX (vs. BAL)
41) Josh Downs | IND (vs. PIT)
42) Chris Godwin | TB (at GB)
43) George Pickens | PIT (at IND)
44) Jahan Dotson | WAS (at LAR)
45) Joshua Palmer | LAC (at LV)
46) Tee Higgins | CIN (vs. MIN)
47) Gabe Davis | BUF (vs. DAL)
48) Romeo Doubs | GB (vs. TB)
49) Demario Douglas | NE (vs. KC)
50) Curtis Samuel | WAS (at LAR)
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