As we inch toward the new season, the ever-changing NFL landscape has player fantasy values constantly on the move. Whether you’re used to the dynasty platform or are still learning the rules, let’s dive into the latest dynasty fantasy football value of wide receiver Josh Palmer.
Josh Palmer’s Dynasty Outlook and Value
Despite being a four-year college player, Palmer was quite young (21) when he was drafted in Round 3 in 2021. As a rookie, Palmer was buried on the Los Angeles Chargers’ depth chart behind their two alpha-starting receivers. But when he was able to get on the field during their limited absences, Palmer flashed some upside.
In 2021, Palmer averaged an irrelevant 5.5 fantasy points per game. However, in his three games where he ran starter-level routes, he scored 17.6, 15.3, and 14.5 points, respectively.
While his efficiency dropped as a sophomore, Palmer saw much more opportunity with Keenan Allen missing seven games and Mike Williams essentially missing five.
Palmer didn’t necessarily have standalone value last season, but he was one of the best handcuff WRs in fantasy. Overall, he averaged 10.6 ppg, finishing as a WR4. Those numbers, alone, justify him being on fantasy rosters.
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It’s difficult to fully dive into Palmer’s splits with and without his fellow receivers. He played games without just Allen, games without just Williams, and games without both. The simple answer is Palmer’s production was better without one of them and even better without both.
The concern with Palmer from a dynasty perspective is there isn’t anything overly impressive about his game. His efficiency metrics are all quite low, suggesting he benefited from being the guy in the spot, and nothing more. In theory, dozens of other receivers could’ve occupied his role and done what he did.
Right now, Palmer’s dynasty value is tethered to Allen and Williams. With Allen now 31 years old, there’s an increased chance Palmer could find himself elevated to the WR2 role once again. When that happens, he’s a fantasy WR3.
There’s also a chance Los Angeles drafts a wide receiver this year. While they had one of the deeper WR corps last year, Allen and Williams could both be gone as early as 2024, and DeAndre Carter is both a free agent and a lot older than you think (he’s 29).
Josh Palmer’s Fantasy Ranking
Palmer is only 23 years old, but he doesn’t profile as a WR1 (and probably not even a WR2). LA needs to start planning for the future. It’s possible that whoever they draft could quickly usurp Palmer on the depth chart.
It’s a strange situation with Palmer. I do think he’ll end up being more valuable than a WR5, where he’s currently valued in dynasty. We have him at WR52 (No. 138 overall) in our dynasty Superflex rankings.
At the same time, I don’t think he’ll ever be a player who you feel confident in starting. His ceiling, to me, is low WR3. As a result, he’s likely a hold if you have him but not someone you need to trade for.
If you’re looking at Palmer in a dynasty startup draft, it just comes down to the price. Given how late he’s going, he’s a fine pick as depth for any dynasty team.