What You Need to Know:

• Palmer caught 33 of 49 targets for 353 yards and 4 TDs in his 2021 rookie season.
• He finished 4th among Chargers WRs in snaps and routes – behind Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Jalen Guyton.
• Palmer seemed to pass Guyton on the depth chart by the end of the season, though. He played more snaps and ran more routes than Guyton in 3 of their final 4 games together.
• Palmer beat Guyton in Pro Football Focus receiving grade and yards per route run.
• The Chargers didn’t make any significant additions at WR this offseason, leaving Palmer as the favorite for the #3 WR job.
• Allen and Williams return as the clear top-2 WRs. RB Austin Ekeler is back after racking up 94 targets last year. TE Gerald Everett replaces TE Jared Cook, which should be a lateral move in terms of targets.
• Palmer and Guyton combined for 97 targets last season. Palmer will need to capture a big chunk of that work if he’s going to be a reliable fantasy starter this year.
• Palmer should at least benefit from a fast-paced, pass-heavy offense. The 2021 Chargers ranked 6th in both situation-neutral pace and situation-neutral pass rate. They finished 3rd in pass attempts. HC Brandon Staley and OC Joe Lombardi are back.

Draft Sharks Bottom Line:

Palmer ascended to the #3 spot on Los Angeles’ depth chart by the end of his 2021 rookie season and is the favorite for that spot this season.

He’ll play in a fast-paced, pass-heavy Chargers offense. But competing with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Gerald Everett, Palmer might struggle for enough targets to be a reliable fantasy play.

He’s more handcuff to Allen and Williams than standalone starter.