Coming off a torrid 2015 campaign with an offense pull off incredibly potent weapons, Carson Palmer was a fantasy football darling during the draft process. Unfortunately, since then, reality has settled in, and it’s a reality wherein the Cardinals rely less on the arm of their aging quarterback and more on the legs of their sophomore running back phenom. Unfortunately for Carson Palmer owners, this means minimal production from him and an unreliable fantasy football option. Given that Palmer isn’t one likely to break through this week in a tough matchup, he shouldn’t be a player you find in your QB slot unless you’re exceptionally desperate.[embedit snippet=”jeff-ads”]
First, let’s explore the downfall of Carson Palmer’s 2016 campaign. He’s throwing as much as ever, going for 30 or more pass attempts in every game this year, including one he left early with a concussion. In fact, he’s been at 35 or more pass attempts every game this season, including a whopping 50 pass attempts at Buffalo. He’s throwing it as much as ever, but he’s merely regressing to his career norms after an absurdly outlier 2015 campaign. Last season he posted career highs in yards and touchdowns and threw the fewest touchdowns of his career (full season played) at age 36. Last season was an obvious season to come down off of for regression, and the “big problem” with Carson Palmer is that he is regressing to… Carson Palmer. He’s back to his career norms for touchdown rate, interception rate, and yards per attempt, the three main things that a quarterback produces. He’s back to being decent and not transcendent Carson Palmer.
Decent Carson Palmer as a Cardinal, however, could not crack the egg that is the Seattle Seahawks (though few quarterbacks can). Since coming to Arizona, Palmer has played four games against Seattle, and has managed only 15.1 fantasy points per game against them (while on a 24:32 TD: , whereinINT full season pace). That figure includes one of the games being ; wherein Palmer had 363 yards and three touchdowns. That one game evened out 1:1 TD: INT, 1:2 TD: INT and 1:4 TD: INT games to make him look merely terrible against the Seahawks instead of abjectly godawful.
The Seahawks are a horrifying proposition for any quarterback not named Matt Ryan, this season, too. Ryan Tannehill, Blaine Gabbert, and Case Keenum combined for a blistering one touchdown (and four picks). They stumbled out of the gate, but these are still your daddy’s Seattle Seahawks, and they still strike fear in the hearts of opposing offenses, and the fantasy football owners of opposing players. Keep Palmer on your bench this weekend.