Joshua Palmer

Joshua Palmer

25-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR
Buffalo Bills
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Palmer played in three very different offenses during his four years with the Chargers, eventually settling in as a downfield receiver under Kellen Moore (2023) and Greg Roman (2024) after getting a lot of shallow routes and targets his first two years in the league. Palmer is no burner, having run a 4.51 40 at his 2021 pro day, with size (6-foot-1, 210) and route-running being his relatively stronger traits. His new team, Buffalo, has a history of using big-bodied receivers rather than speedsters as deep threats, namely Gabe Davis (2020-23) and Keon Coleman (2024). The Bills signed Palmer to a three-year, $29 million contract this offseason, setting him up to compete for snaps against Coleman and Curtis Samuel in an offense where the only certain WR role is Khalil Shakir in the slot. The best hope for Palmer establishing fantasy value is if he's used as a possession receiver while Coleman and/or Samuel run a lot of clear-out routes, although the shallower role might only entail a handful of targets per game given Shakir's presence and the team's frequent use of RBs and TEs. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
#169.34
ADP
Signed a three-year contract with the Bills in March of 2025.
Records five catches in win
WRBuffalo Bills
September 10, 2025
Palmer caught five of nine targets for 61 yards in Sunday's 41-40 win over the Ravens.
ANALYSIS
Palmer played a solid 62 percent of the Bills' offensive snaps Sunday while operating as Buffalo's No. 3 wide receiver behind Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir, who finished with snap percentages of 88 and 75 percent, respectively. Additionally, the veteran wideout's nine targets were tied for the second-highest total among all Bills pass catchers. Though he may be an inconsistent producer based on his role in an offense flush with playmakers, Palmer proved that he is a trusted target of Josh Allen in his regular season debut with Buffalo. Palmer will look to build upon his performance when the Bills visit the Jets in Week 2.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Joshua Palmer's 2025 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. 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. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
109.0
 
Air Yards Per Snap
2.27
 
% Team Air Yards
27.3%
 
% Team Targets
20.0%
 
Avg Depth of Target
12.1 Yds
 
Catch Rate
55.6%
 
Drop Rate
0.0%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
2.6
 
% Targeted On Route
25.7%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.74
 
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Buffalo BillsBills 2025 WR Snap Distribution
#% of Team Snaps

6887%
5469%
4862%
1621%
1013%
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Joshua Palmer lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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This Week's Opposing Pass Defense
How does the Jets pass defense compare to other NFL teams this season?
The bars represents the team's percentile rank (based on QB Rating Against). The longer the bar, the better their pass defense is. The team and position group ratings only include players that are currently on the roster and not on injured reserve. The list of players in the table only includes defenders with at least 3 attempts against them.
NYJ
@ Jets
Sunday, Sep 14th at 1:00PM
Overall QB Rating Against
108.7
 
Cornerbacks
88.1
 
Safeties
118.8
 
Linebackers
120.1
 
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2025 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 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.51 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.25 sec
 
Cone Drill
6.98 sec
 
Vertical Jump
34.0 in
 
Broad Jump
124 in
 
Bench Press
0 reps
 
Hand Length
9.63 in
 
Arm Length
32.88 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Joshua Palmer See More
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Joshua Palmer See More
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
2022
2021
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 out alright for Palmer after the team released Williams and traded Keenan Allen.
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.
The Chargers raised some eyebrows taking Palmer at 77th overall last spring after three consecutive seasons at Tennessee in the range of 450-500 receiving yards, but his rookie year included some signs that he could be well worth the selection. He worked as the Chargers' No. 4 receiver most of the year, playing sparsely, before finishing strong in the final five weeks with 18 catches for 185 yards and three touchdowns (on 28 targets, 5.6 per game). It helped to have Keenan Allen and then Mike Williams miss a game in that stretch, but Palmer also ran ahead of Jalen Guyton, who was the Chargers' No. 3 for most of 2021 and much of 2022. It looks like the role will come down to those same two again, as the Chargers didn't draft any receivers or add any notable free agents (besides return man DeAndre Carter) at the position.
It was a surprise to some when the Chargers selected Palmer in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but the Tennessee product quietly emerged as a capable prospect throughout the lead up. A mundane 4.51 40-yard dash and 4.25 shuttle time don't scream impressive deep threat, and true enough, the four-year starter recorded just one game over 100 receiving yards throughout his collegiate career. However, Palmer is a fluid route runner, who uses his 6-1 frame well enough to make contested catches and create wide target spaces. The 21-year-old apparently made a strong impression on the Chargers this summer, winning the No. 3 receiver job while deep threat Tyron Johnson was waived. The Chargers still have Jalen Guyton as a fallback option for the No. 3 spot, but Guyton did next to nothing with regular snaps last season. The job appears to be Palmer's to lose.
More Fantasy News
Gains two yards Sunday
WRBuffalo Bills
August 17, 2025
Palmer had one reception for two yards in Sunday's 38-0 preseason loss to the Bears.
ANALYSIS
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Two grabs in preseason opener
WRBuffalo Bills
August 9, 2025
Palmer caught two of three targets for 21 yards in Saturday's 34-25 preseason loss to the Giants.
ANALYSIS
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Back at practice Monday
WRBuffalo Bills
Groin
August 4, 2025
Palmer (groin) was present for practice Monday, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Working through groin injury
WRBuffalo Bills
Groin
August 3, 2025
Palmer isn't practicing Sunday due to a groin injury, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports.
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Shining early in camp
WRBuffalo Bills
July 28, 2025
Palmer and Bills QB Josh Allen have connected a number of times during the first week of training camp, Alex Brasky of Bills Digestreports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Expanded Week 1 role possible?
WRBuffalo Bills
September 3, 2025
Palmer could be set for an expanded role in his Bills regular-season debut on Sunday night against the Ravens, considering No. 2 receiver Keon Coleman appears to have suffered a groin injury in Wednesday's practice per Chris Brown of the team's official site.
ANALYSIS
Coleman is projected to fill a key downfield role for the Bills' air attack in his second season, but Wednesday's groin injury, which led to limited participation in the day's practice, could put his Week 1 availability in jeopardy. If Coleman is limited or can't play against Baltimore, Palmer, who averaged 15.1 yards per reception and took 19 of his 77 catches for 20 yards or more during the last two regular seasons with the Chargers, could be in store for a notable boost in opportunity.
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