Tag: Joshua Palmer

Fantasy football preview: LA Chargers wide receivers

Will the Bolts offer electric wideouts for fantasy football?

Dating all the way back to their last four years in San Diego, the Los Angeles Chargers have had wide receiver Keenan Allen around to anchor their passing game. For the past seven years, Allen has been paired with WR Mike Williams. Both are gone. Allen was traded to the Chicago Bears in March, and Williams signed with the New York Jets in free agency. In addition, tight end Gerald Everett (Bears) and running back Austin Ekeler (Washington Commanders), who combined for 102 receptions last year, have departed as well.

While it’s not quite a complete overhaul for quarterback Justin Herbert, it’s close, and that doesn’t even consider the hiring of head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Mark Roman, a duo that’s known for their physical brand of football. So, is it all doom and gloom for LA’s passing attack in 2024, or will some new Chargers step to the forefront?

Who are the Chargers roster locks heading into the final preseason game?

Here is a look at who should have a spot on the 53-man roster heading into the final preseason game.

The Chargers travel to Dallas to meet the Cowboys for the final preseason game.

This will be the last time players vying for a spot on the roster to make their case to the coaching staff. And for a handful of players, their job security is safe.

Here is a look at who should have a spot on the 53-man roster heading into Saturday:

QB Justin Herbert

RB Gus Edwards

RB J.K. Dobbins

WR Joshua Palmer

WR Ladd McConkey

WR Quentin Johnston

WR D.J. Chark

WR Derius Davis

TE Will Dissly

TE Hayden Hurst

OT Rashawn Slater

OT Joe Alt

IOL Zion Johnson

IOL Trey Pipkins

IOL Bradley Bozeman

IOL Jamaree Salyer

IOL Jordan McFadden

IDL Poona Ford

IDL Morgan Fox

IDL Otito Ogbonnia

EDGE Joey Bosa

EDGE Khalil Mack

EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu

LB Denzel Perryman

LB Junior Colson

LB Daiyan Henley

LB Nick Niemann

CB Asante Samuel Jr.

CB Kristian Fulton

CB Ja’Sir Taylor

CB Deane Leonard

S Derwin James

S Alohi Gilman

K Cameron Dicker

P JK Scott

LS Josh Harris

Chargers minicamp: Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey building fast rapport

Ladd McConkey is already showing to be Justin Herbert’s favorite target.

The departures of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams were a big hit to Justin Herbert, as they were his favorite targets. However, Herbert seems to be building a new connection with another wideout.

Herbert and rookie Ladd McConkey were clicking as the Chargers opened up mandatory minicamp on Tuesday.

According to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, McConkey caught four of Herbert’s passes, including a third-down conversion. Popper added that McConkey primarily worked out of the slot and highlighted his route running.

The strong chemistry between Herbert and McConkey has carried over from OTAs (organized team activities), where the two began to develop their rapport.

McConkey is arguably the best separator in the group. Like Allen when he was on the Chargers, he got the ball a lot because of his ability to consistently make himself open at all levels of the field.

It will be fun to watch the connection continue to materialize.

2024 Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule: Receivers

Cardinals and Bears looking at a sweet schedule for the receivers

The strength of schedule for receivers lumps wide receivers and tight ends together since each team uses the positions differently. While overall averages are interesting, no position is as sensitive to individual matchups as are receivers facing particular defensive backs. This makes the analysis less accurate than that for running backs and quarterbacks. The best receiver for an offense invariably draws the best coverage defender, if not more than one on most plays.

The analysis also considers the venue. There is a difference between how defenses respond either home or away, and that creates 64 “different defensive matchups” depending on where the game is played.

SEE ALSO: Quarterbacks | Running Backs

The average passing fantasy points allowed by defenses for receivers last year is at the bottom of this page.

Total Points

For fantasy contests and some leagues, only total points matter. Below are the total points for each passing offense according to their schedule using the averages allowed by those defenses in 2023 .

PHI CHI DET ARI GB ATL SF NYJ IND CLE HOU
781 774 768 766 754 746 745 745 743 733 731
CAR DAL LV NO WAS BUF BAL SEA NE MIN
728 726 724 723 723 719 718 717 716 713
TEN KC NYG TB PIT CIN LAR DEN MIA LAC JAC
711 707 703 701 700 698 697 693 690 689 687

 

Weekly Play

Three different views are below. Week 1 to 17 is the full-season fantasy strength of schedule. “The Dorey Rule” says to draft like the season only lasted the first six weeks for a hot start. Finally, Weeks 15 to 17 represent the most common fantasy playoffs. “Good” games were when they faced one of the top 22 venues from last year; “Bad” was when they played in one of the worst 22.

Wk 1-17 SOS Good Bad First 6 Gms SOS Good Bad Playoffs SOS Good Bad
CHI 5 8 3 HOU 3 4 1 CHI 3 3 0
ARI 5 8 3 NYJ 3 3 0 SF 3 3 0
DET 4 7 3 SEA 3 4 1 CIN 2 2 0
GB 3 6 3 ARI 2 3 1 CLE 2 2 0
SF 3 6 3 TB 2 4 2 TEN 2 2 0
NYJ 3 6 3 IND 2 2 0 ATL 1 2 1
BUF 2 5 3 CHI 2 3 1 LAC 1 2 1
NE 2 7 5 NE 2 3 1 GB 1 1 0
IND 1 5 4 DET 2 3 1 NO 1 1 0
BAL 1 5 4 WAS 1 2 1 MIN 0 1 1
ATL 0 6 6 GB 0 2 2 LV 0 1 1
CLE 0 6 6 SF 0 1 1 WAS 0 1 1
HOU 0 6 6 DEN 0 1 1 JAC 0 1 1
DAL 0 6 6 BAL 0 2 2 NE 0 1 1
TEN 0 6 6 BUF 0 2 2 DEN 0 1 1
CAR -1 5 6 MIA 0 1 1 NYJ 0 1 1
LV -1 4 5 PHI -1 1 2 BUF 0 1 1
NO -1 5 6 CLE -1 2 3 PHI -1 1 2
SEA -1 5 6 CAR -1 2 3 KC -1 0 1
PHI -2 5 7 ATL -1 1 2 BAL -1 0 1
WAS -2 4 6 NYG -1 2 3 ARI -1 0 1
MIN -2 3 5 KC -1 1 2 DAL -1 1 2
MIA -2 2 4 LAR -1 1 2 DET -1 0 1
KC -3 4 7 PIT -2 2 4 LAR -1 0 1
NYG -3 5 8 NO -2 2 4 CAR -1 0 1
CIN -3 4 7 DAL -2 1 3 HOU -1 1 2
LAR -3 3 6 JAC -2 1 3 MIA -1 0 1
TB -4 4 8 LAC -2 0 2 IND -2 0 2
PIT -4 5 9 MIN -2 0 2 TB -2 0 2
LAC -4 3 7 LV -3 0 3 PIT -2 0 2
JAC -4 4 8 CIN -3 1 4 NYG -3 0 3
DEN -5 2 7 TEN -3 1 4 SEA -3 0 3

Best schedule strength

DJ Moore/Keenan Allen (CHI) – The Bears feature the top quarterback from the 2024 draft and that throws risk into the equation even for an elite talent. DJ Moore was new last year and succeeded but now has the young quarterback and will share with Keenan Allen. Caleb Williams still needs to prove his talent, but he has two competent receivers enjoying the lightest schedule strength in the NFL.

Marvin Harrison Jr./Trey McBride (ARI) – The Arizona receivers also face the same best-case schedule for 2024, but unlike the Bears, their quarterback is the veteran, and the wideout is the top-drafted in his position this year. Trey McBride was a breakout second-year tight end who returns to the same quarterback, coaches and scheme. Marvin Harrison Jr. is in a very advantageous position with marginal competition from the other Cardinal wideouts and also faces the softest schedule.

Amon-Ra St. Brown/Sam LaPorta (DET) – This is an interesting development. The Lions return the same scheme and players including Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was No. 2 in receptions last year (119) and Sam LaPorta who was the top fantasy tight end despite being a rookie. Now, all that greatness from 2024 is pitted against the third-best schedule strength. The only marginal downside is that there are no light matchups left after Week 13.

Garrett Wilson/Mike Williams (NYJ) – Can it finally be the Jets’ year? Garrett Wilson shined regardless of the otherwise mediocrity at quarterback last season. He gets, assumedly, a healthy Aaron Rodgers and a lighter schedule to boost his 2024 potential. Mike Williams has to learn a new offense and return from his ACL tear but at least face a lighter slate of defensive venues. The rookie Malachi Corley could also figure in if Williams is slow to return to form.

Worst schedule strength

Courtland Sutton/Josh Reynolds (DEN) – As if the coin flip between Bo Nix and Zach Wilson wasn’t scary enough, the Broncos are looking at the cruelest schedule for receivers with just two light matchups. They have a stretch during the season where eight games contain six bad venues and no good ones.

Christian Kirk/Brian Thomas (JAC) – The Jaguars lost Calvin Ridley but replaced him with Brian Thomas Jr., which should be a wash, if only eventually. The only saving grace to their rough outlook with eight poor matchups is that they had one of the worst schedules last year, and 2024 may be bad, but it is slightly better than 2023.

Joshua Palmer/Quentin Johnston (LAC) – It was already scary enough losing Mike Williams and Keenan Allen. And bringing in a far more conservative offensive scheme that seeks to run more and pass less. But the Chargers have one of the weakest pair of starters going against one of the worst schedule strengths which include only three lighter matchups all year.

George Pickens/Van Jefferson/Roman Wilson (PIT) – The Steelers imported the Falcons offense when they hired OC Arthur Smith who is fresh from the crash-and-burn of the Atlanta passing game the last couple of seasons. Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields learn that new run-heavy scheme with sketchy receivers outside of George Pickens and face an NFL-worst nine games facing the toughest venues.

2024 weekly grid 

Fantasy points allowed per game to WRs

These are the values applied to this year’s schedule to determine strength of schedule for wide receivers and tight ends.

@PHI @MIN NYG DET CHI TB LAC DEN @WAS WAS JAC PHI @CIN LAR SEA @TEN
62.2 58.6 57.3 56.6 56.2 55.9 55.2 54.1 53.9 53.2 52.1 51.6 51.5 51.5 50.6 49.9
@DET @IND @MIA CIN MIA KC @SF @LAR ATL CLE @HOU @TB TEN @GB LVR HOU
49.8 49.4 48.7 47.8 47.8 47.7 47.7 47.0 46.9 46.6 46.2 45.9 45.9 45.4 45.3 45.1
PIT @LAC @JAC BUF NE @PIT @ARI @SEA SF NO ARI @DAL MIN @DEN BAL GB
45.0 44.9 44.8 44.8 44.5 44.4 44.3 44.1 43.8 43.8 43.4 43.0 43.0 42.5 42.3 41.9
@LVR @NO @BAL @NYG IND @NE @ATL CAR @CAR @BUF DAL @NYJ @CHI NYJ @KC @CLE
41.7 41.4 41.2 40.5 39.9 39.5 38.8 38.4 36.8 36.7 35.5 34.6 34.3 32.9 30.2 29.2

 

Chargers WR Joshua Palmer ready for big role: ‘I’ve always been preparing like if I was the one’

Joshua Palmer is poised for a big fourth season.

The Chargers’ wide receiver room is filled with a handful of young players entering this season, while Joshua Palmer, is the longest-tenured one.

Entering his fourth season and the final year of his rookie contract, Palmer is primed for a prominent role in Greg Roman’s offense.

“I approach it like it’s a whole new team, because it technically is from the top down,” Palmer said, per the team’s official website. “The new coaching staff is getting to know me, I’m getting to know them and I’m just taking it one day at a time trying to get the installs, try to understand what they’re putting in and just letting everything fall the way they’re supposed to fall.”

Palmer, the 2021 third-round pick, has 143 career catches for 1,703 yards and nine touchdowns in his career.

Palmer stepped up when Keenan Allen and Mike Williams dealt with injuries in 2022, tallying 72 receptions for 769 yards and three scores across 16 games. Last season, he had a career-high 58.1 yards per game but was sidelined six games by a knee injury.

Now that Allen and Williams are no longer on the team, Palmer is the new veteran, and he has taken on the responsibilities of the role.

“When guys come up to me, I’ll give them what I have… If guys want to do that to me, of course I’ll help,” Palmer said. “I’m not just going to go force anything down someone’s throat like, ‘Oh you got to be doing this, you’ve got to be doing that.’ I have to learn this stuff too, so everyone is in the same boat right now.”

On the field, Palmer routinely creates separation for himself and makes big grabs down the field. He will need to continue doing that this season to help the offense and himself, as he will be seeking a new contract next offseason.

“I feel like my preparation is never going to change,” Palmer said. “Since my rookie year, I’ve always been preparing like if I was the one just because why would I prepare any differently. Why would I prepare as a backup, why would I prepare as someone that’s not going to play. That won’t change.

“From an experience standpoint, I think it’s important knowing that I might be in that role to have to step up big, but I wouldn’t say it’s anything new,” Palmer added. “The coaches have full trust in me, that’s what I’m working for, the receiver coach has full trust in me. I’m learning them and they’re learning me as well.”

Is Josh Palmer the Chargers’ most underappreciated player entering 2024?

A spotlight was put on Chargers WR Josh Palmer heading into his fourth year.

In a new NFL.com article, media members selected one “underappreciated” player from each of the league’s 32 teams. For the Chargers, a spotlight was put on wide receiver Josh Palmer heading into his fourth year.

His section of the article reads like this:

After taking over a cap-strapped roster this January, Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz decided to create financial flexibility by gutting the receiver room. In the absence of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, who will emerge as Justin Herbert’s downfield target? Last year’s first-round pick, Quentin Johnston, left a lot to be desired in Year 1. This year’s second-round pick, Ladd McConkey, looks like he’ll do most of his work from the slot. So, when the Bolts’ cannon-arm quarterback wants to cut it loose, who’ll test the defense on the perimeter? It seems like a lot of people are forgetting about Palmer, possibly due to his injury-riddled 2023 campaign. The fourth-year pro already has a nice rapport with Herbert — as we saw in a handful of 100-yard outings over the past two seasons — and he possesses the most well-rounded, polished game in this receiving corps.

Palmer enters the final year of his rookie contract after racking up around 1,700 yards and nine touchdowns in his first three seasons. Injuries have been a concern for Palmer, particularly in 2023, as he dealt with a nagging knee sprain for most of the year.

However, the former Tennessee product has not always had a stable situation in the wide receiver room around him. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams missed significant time in Palmer’s 2022 season, where he was forced into a more prominent role early. The same could be said for 2023 when Williams tore his ACL in week 3. What has always been consistent is his connection with Justin Herbert, as mentioned in the article. Palmer was almost certainly headed for a career-high in receiving yards last year without the injuries.

With the Chargers lacking true prototypical X-receiver talent, Palmer will probably be the player asked to step up the most in that role after the Williams and Allen departures.

Check out photos, videos from Chargers’ first day of OTAs

The Chargers are back in action, as Monday marked the first day of organized team activities (OTAs).

The Chargers are back in action, as Monday marked the first day of organized team activities (OTAs). The team was able to run drills without pads or contact.

This marked the first time that head coach Jim Harbaugh and the rest of the new coaching staff came together on the field with all the players, both returning and fresh faces.

To get a feel of what went down at Hoag Performance Center in Costa Mesa, CA, here’s a compilation of photos courtesy of USA Today Sports’ Kirby Lee and video from the team’s official Twitter.

Tackle Trey Pipkins III
Tackle Joe Alt (76)
Senior offensive assistant coach Marc Trestman
Running back Kimani Vidal (30)
Wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal
Center Bradley Bozeman (75)
Receiver Joshua Palmer (5) 
Receiver Quentin Johnston (1)
Receiver Brenden Rice (82)
Running backs coach Kiel McDonald
Running back Elijah Dotson (42)
Quarterbacks coach Shane Day and quarterbacks Justin Herbert (10) and Easton Stick (2)
Head coach Jim Harbaugh
Quarterback Justin Herbert (10)

Report: Chargers agree to terms with WR D.J. Chark

The Chargers wide receiver room got deeper after the addition of D.J. Chark.

The Chargers agreed to terms with veteran wide receiver D.J. Chark on Thursday, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

The deal is for a year worth up to $5 million, Rapoport added.

Chark joins a wide receiver room that consists of Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston, Derius Davis, Simi Fehoko and recent draftees Ladd McConkey, Brenden Rice and Cornelius Johnson.

Chark spent the 2023 season with the Panthers after signing a one-year deal last offseason. He caught 35 passes for 524 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games.

A former second-round pick by the Jaguars, Chark’s best season came in 2019. That year, he amassed 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight scores en route to earning a Pro Bowl berth.

Chark played with the Lions in 2022, totaling 30 catches for 502 yards with three touchdowns.

The Chargers’ goal at wide receiver is to get younger and faster, and Chark has plenty of juice, having run a 4.34 40.

Report: Chargers met with free agent WR Tyler Boyd

The Chargers continue to pursue the wide receiver market despite adding three in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Chargers continue to pursue the wide receiver market despite adding three in the 2024 NFL draft.

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team met with former Bengals wideout Tyler Boyd in Los Angeles this week.

The team registered reported preliminary interest in Boyd, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and D.J. Chark. Los Angeles hosted Chark for a visit at the facility last week prior to the draft.

Joe Hortiz has been adamant that adding talent doesn’t stop at any point on the football calendar. The Chargers took Ladd McConkey, Brenden Rice, and Cornelius Johnson in the draft.

Boyd will enter his ninth NFL season in 2024. It appears as though it will be his first year outside of Cincinnati. He’s already put up 6000 yards and 31 touchdowns in his eight seasons.

Boyd’s production has dipped to some extent, with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins taking up significant roles for the Bengals. A season-ending wrist injury to quarterback Joe Burrow is also a variable in the related offensive production decline.

Generally, Boyd is still a relatively reliable slot presence. However, the eight-year vet has seen some target metrics, like yards per route run (1.15 in 2023) and yards per reception (10.0 in 2023), dip to career lows.

The Chargers seem likely to sign a receiver soon despite having 10 on the roster already. So far, their room contains:

Quentin Johnston

Josh Palmer

Ladd McConkey

Derius Davis

Simi Fehoko

Brenden Rice

Cornelius Johnson

Jaylen Johnson (UDFA)

Jaelen Gill (UDFA)

Leon Johnson (UDFA)

Chargers GM Joe Hortiz speaks on state of wide receiver room after taking Joe Alt

The new front office doesn’t seem to be phased as much by the lack of clarity at wide receiver as much as the fanbase is.

In their joint press conference following the selection of Joe Alt, Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz were both asked about the plans for the wide receiver position.

First, they were asked why they went with a tackle despite quality receivers available on the board. Hortiz responded:

Yeah, there were. I think I’ve said it from the beginning, when we started talking about the draft, that we’re going to take the best player available for the Chargers, and that’s what we did today. That’s what we’re going to do at 37 [overall] and every other pick that we have. Obviously, he helps our team and he helps us get better. That’s what we want to do. We want to get better with every pick. That’s what we feel like we did.

Asked in a follow-up that came later in the press conference about plans to address the wide receiver position throughout the rest of the draft and offseason, Hortiz said this:

We’re going to address more than just the receivers, too, absolutely. I’ve said this before — you look at it and there are certainly more needs at different spots, but there are needs at every position. That’s why we’re living by the best player philosophy. Again, you’re never one player away and you’re never one position away. You have to improve every single position on your team at every opportunity you get. We’re going to still be working on a few of the positions. We’re not done with offensive line, either. We’re just going to try and make the team better.

Some Day 2 wide receivers who could be available at 37 include Adonai Mitchell, Ladd McConkey, and Roman Wilson, amongst others. However, with the value on the board at cornerback, defensive tackle, and interior offensive line, I’d have to wonder if the best player available mentality causes them to wait one more round for a wideout.

Harbaugh advised against “counting out” rostered wideouts like Quentin Johnston, Josh Palmer, Simi Fehoko, and Derius Davis. The new front office doesn’t seem to be phased as much by the lack of clarity at wide receiver as much as the fanbase is.