Joshua Palmer

Even in his best recent game (W18), Palmer only commanded 11% target share despite 84% snap rate — a telling signal that Josh Allen routes away from him even when he is on the field. With Moore and Shakir ahead, this ceiling does not improve.

Palmer missed 5 games during 2025 regular season with knee/ankle injuries and ended the season on IR, continuing a three-year pattern of missing 10 games total due to injury. His durability is a major concern at age 26.

Palmer's 2025 season looked promising after posting five catches for 61 yards in Week 1, but those numbers ended up being season highs, and he finished with only 22 receptions over 12 games.

Palmer's career trajectory is negative—peaked at 72/769 in 2022 with LAC, then regressed to 22/303 in 2025 with Buffalo. He's moving away from, not toward, fantasy relevance despite entering his prime years.

Multiple major outlets (Bleacher Report, SI, Yahoo) named Palmer one of the NFL's most notable cut candidates after the D.J. Moore trade. A post-June 1 release saves the Bills ~$2.3M and reports explicitly state the organization 'believes they no longer have a role' for him.

The Bills' trade for D.J. Moore from Chicago — not yet reflected in the structured teammate data — is the single biggest development here. Moore immediately slots as WR2 behind Shakir, eliminating Palmer's only viable path to volume and rendering his 3yr/$36M contract a cap liability.

If Buffalo experiences WR injuries or trades a veteran pass-catcher, Palmer could see meaningful volume increase as a capable reserve option.

Buffalo may move on from Curtis Samuel and is expected to add a starting WR this offseason, but Palmer's injury history and high cap hit make it unclear if he'll benefit. Any turnover could open opportunities if he stays healthy.

A June 1 cut is increasingly the consensus expectation. At 26 with legitimate NFL athleticism and a track record as a 70+ target receiver in LAC, Palmer's dynasty ceiling depends entirely on where he lands — a WR-needy offense with a competent QB could quickly revive his value.

Any injury to Shakir or DJ Moore in a Josh Allen-led offense immediately vaults Palmer into WR2 volume. Allen's elite QB value makes any starter-level role on this offense fantasy-relevant.

Palmer's snap share trended sharply upward late in the season (33% → 84% from W15 to W18), suggesting he earned some late-season trust. This provides a floor argument if he survives final roster cuts.

Josh Allen's elite volume means any injury to Moore or Coleman cascades meaningful opportunity downward. If Palmer survives the 53-man, he is one injury away from 6-8 targets per week in a top-3 NFL offense.