In 2021, the Los Angeles Chargers had one of the more effective passing offenses in the NFL. In fact, they ranked third in the entire league with a per-game average of 282.4 passing yards. With Justin Herbert continuing to progress during his early NFL career, the Chargers should stay around the league’s top passing offenses for years to come. However, one interesting aspect about this offense for the 2022 season is the fact that a multitude of Charger’s receivers are set to be free agents during the offseason. 

The free agents coming out of Los Angeles include wide receivers Mike Williams and Jalen Guyton in addition to tight ends Jared Cook, Donald Parham, and Stephen Anderson. Mike Williams is obviously the major piece here as an unrestricted free agent coming off of a 1,146-yard season. As for his price, Williams is in line for a contract that should be north of $15 million per year based on recent deals to receivers of his caliber. The likelihood that the Chargers offer Williams a long-term contract is looking low as he’s had trouble staying healthy while being fairly inconsistent when available.

The rest of these players are more of a toss-up as their contracts won’t be nearly as hefty as Williams’. Jalen Guyton offers deep play upside and should be fairly affordable, Jared Cook is getting up there in age at nearly 35-years-old, Donald Parham is an exclusive rights free agent who could easily return, and Stephen Anderson only had a role due to games missed by Cook and Parham. The future of these players with the Chargers isn’t set in stone as there is still over a month until free agency begins on March 16th. 

Vacated targets are a hit-or-miss statistic to base predictions on, but if the Chargers were to allow all five players to walk, then there would be a considerable amount of targets opening up in their highly productive offense. The five players add up to 261 total targets on the season while Mike Williams was the most involved with 129. Barring any possible free-agent acquisitions or draft picks being used on wide receiver, Josh Palmer could be moving into a much more involved role in the receiving game.

Josh Palmer is a 23-year-old out of the University of Tennessee who is slightly above average size for an NFL receiver at 6’1’’, 210 lbs. In his rookie year, he managed to showcase his efficiency (115.4 QB rating when targeted), his reliability (54.5 percent of receptions for 1st downs), and his strong hands with a 100 percent contested catch rate (8 targets).  

On paper, he didn’t necessarily “wow” anyone as he finished with 33 receptions for 353 yards and four touchdowns. But, when given the opportunities, he was able to perform admirably. In the three games where Palmer played in at least 60 percent of snaps, he had an average of 7.3 targets, 4.6 receptions, and 51.3 receiving yards. He was also able to catch a touchdown in each of those three performances as well. Numbers like these show that Palmer can provide consistent production for fantasy managers while having the privilege of playing in an offense that excels at throwing the football.

However, with free agency and the draft looming, Palmer isn’t a lock to gain a larger role. Plenty of big-name receivers are set to hit the market and the Chargers own $58 million in cap room. Some attractive names include Davante Adams (GB), Allen Robinson (CHI), Odell Beckham Jr. (LAR), and Chris Godwin (TB). In addition to free agents, wide receivers like Michael Thomas (NO) and Calvin Ridley (ATL) are still under contracts but have expressed their desire for new teams.   

Plenty of obstacles are standing in Palmer’s way, but moving parts throughout the offseason provide hope for a heavy target share opening up in Los Angeles. The Chargers could easily save money on offense by sticking with what they have in Palmer while looking to improve elsewhere. Maybe they use their available cap to beef up their struggling run defense? Maybe they target a replacement for Chris Harris Jr. at cornerback? There are still a number of question marks surrounding this team and their offseason plans so shutting the door on Palmer might not be the correct move just yet. 

To gain a real idea of who Palmer can be as a receiver and as a fantasy asset, he needs more of an opportunity to show out in this impressive passing offense. Judging by the plethora of Charger’s receiving weapons set to hit free agency, he could easily gain that role in 2022. It’s very early, but if Josh Palmer is able to seize this role, he could be a massive value after round 10 of fantasy drafts, unless offseason buzz carries him higher up rankings.