Joshua Palmer
24-Year-Old
Questionable
Injury Knee
Est. Return 6/15/2024
2023 Receiving Stats
REC
38
YDS
581
TD
2
AVG
15.3
TAR
61
2024 Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
When the Chargers lost Mike Williams to an ACL tear in Week 3 last year, Palmer took on a prominent role, averaging 4.25 receptions and 70.5 yards per game from that point on. Unfortunately, Williams wasn't the only one who had a hard time staying healthy. In Week 8, Palmer suffered a knee injury and missed six games. Upon his return he had a pair of solid performances, before missing Week 17 with a concussion and suffering another knee injury in Week 18. Still, it was his second straight year averaging more than six targets per game, after handling a part-time role as a third-round rookie back in 2021. Palmer is in excellent position for a starting job heading into his fourth pro season, joined by 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston, 2024 second-rounder Ladd McConkey and veteran DJ Chark atop a thinned-out depth chart. The Chargers hired run-first offensive coordinator Greg Roman this offseason, but that might work alright for Palmer after the team released Williams and traded Keenan Allen. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Left atop depth chart
Palmer (knee) and Quentin Johnston are the top wide receivers left on the Chargers after the team released Mike Williams and traded Keenan Allen.
ANALYSIS
The other part of the equation is that the Chargers own the fifth overall pick in a draft with three elite WR prospects. That doesn't necessarily mean they'll end up with Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze, but it'll certainly be a common prediction in mock drafts over the next six weeks. Palmer averaged a career-high 58.1 receiving yards per game in 2023, his third NFL season, albeit while missing six games with a knee injury and a seventh with a concussion. He then hurt his knee in the regular-season finale, but there hasn't been any follow up suggesting it was a serious injury. Palmer now enters the final year of his rookie contract under a new head coach (Jim Harbaugh) and offensive coordinator (Greg Roman), with those hirings and the team's offseason moves hinting at a more run-oriented offense in 2023. That could still work out well for Palmer in fantasy terms given the likelihood of reduced competition for targets relative to his first three seasons.
The other part of the equation is that the Chargers own the fifth overall pick in a draft with three elite WR prospects. That doesn't necessarily mean they'll end up with Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze, but it'll certainly be a common prediction in mock drafts over the next six weeks. Palmer averaged a career-high 58.1 receiving yards per game in 2023, his third NFL season, albeit while missing six games with a knee injury and a seventh with a concussion. He then hurt his knee in the regular-season finale, but there hasn't been any follow up suggesting it was a serious injury. Palmer now enters the final year of his rookie contract under a new head coach (Jim Harbaugh) and offensive coordinator (Greg Roman), with those hirings and the team's offseason moves hinting at a more run-oriented offense in 2023. That could still work out well for Palmer in fantasy terms given the likelihood of reduced competition for targets relative to his first three seasons.
NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Joshua Palmer's 2023 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank.
The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Air Yards Per Game
68.3Air Yards Per Snap
1.38% Team Air Yards
14.6%% Team Targets
9.9%Avg Depth of Target
11.2 YdsCatch Rate
62.3%Drop Rate
3.3%Avg Yds After Catch
5.2% Targeted On Route
18.1%Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.72Loading Advanced NFL Stats...
2023
2022
2021
2023 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Joshua Palmer lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
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2023 Joshua Palmer Split Stats
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Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do Joshua Palmer's measurables compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
* All metrics are from his Pro Day (not the combine).
Height
6' 1"Weight
210 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.51 secShuttle Time
4.25 secCone Drill
6.98 secVertical Jump
34.0 inBroad Jump
124 inBench Press
0 repsHand Length
9.63 inArm Length
32.88 in
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Gets new veteran position mate
Palmer is no longer the most senior member of the Chargers' wide receivers corps after the team signed DJ Chark to a one-year contract Thursday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
ANALYSIS
Palmer, who just completed his third NFL season, still sits atop the offseason depth chart for the time being, but Chark figures to absorb his fair share of targets if he's healthy. Palmer also has plenty of younger competition in 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston, 2024 second-round pick Ladd McConkey and 2024 fourth-round pick Derius Davis, so there's no guarantee he's still the de facto No. 1 receiver role by the time Week 1 rolls around.
Palmer, who just completed his third NFL season, still sits atop the offseason depth chart for the time being, but Chark figures to absorb his fair share of targets if he's healthy. Palmer also has plenty of younger competition in 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston, 2024 second-round pick Ladd McConkey and 2024 fourth-round pick Derius Davis, so there's no guarantee he's still the de facto No. 1 receiver role by the time Week 1 rolls around.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams each missing a chunk of the 2022 campaign due to injuries, Palmer thrived as an intermediate target, accumulating 54 receptions and 607 yards Weeks 2-13. Despite the healthy workload, Palmer averaged just 3.5 yards after the catch, which was only exacerbated by a lower average depth of target (9.0). The return of Allen and Williams eventually relegated the 23-year-old to an afterthought as Palmer tallied just 21 targets over the five remaining weeks. 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston is almost guaranteed a starting spot in three wide-receiver sets to begin the season, making it likely that Palmer will be hard-pressed to garner a workload similar to what he drew in 2022.
More Fantasy News
Season marred by injuries
Palmer, who left Sunday's 13-12 loss to the Chiefs early with a knee injury, tallied 38 receptions for 581 receiving yards and two touchdowns across 10 games during the 2023 season.
ANALYSIS
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Hurts knee in Week 18
Palmer exited Sunday's season finale against the Chiefs with a knee injury.
ANALYSIS
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Cleared to play Week 18
Palmer has cleared concussion protocol and will play Sunday against the Chiefs, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
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Limited Wednesday
Palmer (concussion) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.
ANALYSIS
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Won't play against Broncos
Palmer (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Broncos, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
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