Flying Around the Round Table: Is Carson Palmer a Good Fantasy Quarterback?
By Baily Deeter
Jun. 11, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA: Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) during mini camp at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Carson Palmer’s numbers were solid last season, but his Oakland Raiders went 4-12.
Now, he has a decent supporting cast around him. Palmer is bound to throw a plethora of touchdowns to Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Roberts and Michael Floyd, and the offensive line should do a nice job protecting him. With receiving weapons and protection, Palmer’s production appears to be unlimited.
Or is it?
To find out, we surveyed our writers. Here are some responses.
Troy Tauscher
I think he will be a pretty good fantasy player. He will be throwing the ball quite often, and to weapons like Rob Housler, Michael Floyd, and Larry Fitzgerald.
Jacob Marshall
Carson Palmer was a “good” fantasy quarterback last year with zero weapons and zero run game. He did throw for over 4,000 yards. Now this year he has several things going for him. A Bruce Arians offense, Larry Fitzgerald and NFL caliber running backs should provide a greater opportunity for stats with lower turnovers he had last year. Carson Palmer will be a starting caliber quarterback in fantasy football this year, maybe top 10.
Daniel Castro
This is a difficult question to respond. The Cardinals are rebuilding and are in a very competive division. Thanfully the easy answer is also the honest one. You need a championship caliber quarterback to win a Super Bowl. Players like Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady put their teams in contention every year. 2014 is a crucial year for the Cardinals, they need to find their quarterback and if he’s a great one, they’ll be in championship contention one day.
Baily Deeter
I think he should be a top-15 quarterback. Palmer will throw for more than 250 yards (4,000 in a 16-game season) in most games, and I think he’ll beat last year’s total of 4,018 yards with something around 4,400. I think his interceptions will stay in the same range, but his touchdown total will skyrocket.
If interceptions don’t cost you much in your league, get Palmer. He’ll probably be in the double-digits in interceptions, but his touchdown total will more than make up for that.
Lucas Robbins
Carson Palmer will be a decent fantasy quarterback. Last season with the Oakland Raiders, Palmer scored over 16 fantasy points in eight games. Despite the Raiders offensive personnel dilemmas he was still able to be an asset on fantasy squads.
This season Palmer is an underrated quarterback. The combination of offensive guru Bruce Arians’ play-calling and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald as a target, should be enough for Palmer to put up some nice numbers. He should have a better fantasy season than last and could post around 20 points give or take a few each week.
Palmer will most likely go lower than other quarterbacks in most drafts but should prove to be a respectable choice as a suitable starter, and if not definitely a great backup.
Matthew Gay
The experts in fantasy football on major sites have poor grades for Carson Palmer. This is surprising to me as I review his stats and see he is near his best years in Cincinnati. A few points below overall but considering his age and that he put up his 3rd best season last year with the Oakland Raiders. He’s entering a year with better weapons than last and a system that’s easier to execute and more successful.
I’m snagging #3 in rounds 4-7 if he falls to me. He should easily give you 15 points a game on average or 220 on the year. He has the ability but best of all the experience to not be outsmarted by the daunting defenses he faces this year.
Cyle Gill
Last season, Carson Palmer was ranked the 16th best fantasy quarterback with 298.5 fantasy points (19.9 points per game) and only played in 15 games. This season, he’ll be throwing the ball to Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, Andre Roberts, and Rob Housler. He’s going to have a better O-Line then he had in Oakland and definitely better receivers with hopefully a better running game. I think its safe to go out on the limb and say, he’ll be a top 10 fantasy quarterback.