FANTASY FOOTBALL NEWS

Joshua Palmer Set to Lead Chargers Receiving?

By Matt Schauf | Updated on Thu, Jul 11 2024 2:56 AM UTC

Daniel Popper of The Athletic says he's concerned about the Chargers having enough talent at WR. That's not a surprising worry, given that the team shed Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason, while adding only second-round pick Ladd McConkey and low-level free-agent D.J. Chark Jr. So who will lead the group? "Joshua Palmer is a complete receiver poised for a career season at the top of the depth chart," Popper wrote this week. That's most noteworthy because Palmer (WR53) sits well behind McConkey (WR42) in best ball ADP.

What They're Saying

Popper on other WRs: "Ladd McConkey is a pro-ready route runner who is already looking like a perfect fit for Herbert. D.J. Chark Jr. provides some speed and contested-catch capacity on the outside. It feels like the Chargers are one injury away from Quentin Johnston again playing significant snaps. That worries me."

2024 Fantasy Football Impact

First of all, Johnston doesn't appear on track to rebound from a bad rookie year. Don't bet on him.

Palmer is a low-risk bet in mid-WR5 territory.

McConkey carries the most risk by virtue of going in the middle of WR4 range in early drafting.

And the whole group takes on more risk with the run-heavy backgrounds of both HC Jim Harbaugh and OC Greg Roman.

Dynasty Impact

McConkey remains the most interesting long-term bet in this WR group but mostly because this is a weak group of wideouts. He's potentially overvalued there as well, though.

Other Winners & Losers

QB Justin Herbert's a loser here, with the likely run-heavy offense and depleted WR corps. But his market valuation has fallen to match. He appears appropriately valued at worst, especially in dynasty.

Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.