Ryan Palmer

Palmer kind of had a tale of two seasons in the 2020-21 campaign. In the fall and early 2021 version of the schedule he emerged as a contender just about every week. Once the spring and summer hit, however, Palmer really struggled in all aspects of his game. At 44-years-old, it is hard to see the Texan being able to put together another season in which he reaches $2 million again.

Palmer put together a very good season at age 43, notching nine top-25s. His ball-striking was very strong, ranking top 30 in SG: Off-the-tee, SG: Approach, and SG: Tee-to-green. When the Texan is tidy around the greens and rolling it well on them, he's usually right there. Palmer is getting up there in age, so I could see a dip off in performance at some point soon.

Palmer joined the PGA Tour in 2004 and for the most part, he's been a top-100 player. Entering this past season however, Palmer's looked like it might be fading. In the two previous seasons, Palmer had just one top-3 and his winless streak had stretched to eight years. Then, out of nowhere, at the age of 42, Palmer had one of his best seasons on the PGA Tour. Palmer broke that winless streak, posted six top-10s and earned over $2.8 million. It was a great season, but one he's not likely to replicate this season.

After underperforming during the 2016-2017 season and earning just $770k, Palmer looked like a great salary cap option entering last season. Palmer didn't disappoint as he nearly double his previous year's earnings last season. It was likely the last time an opportunity like that will arise for Palmer as he'll turn 42 this season and his best golf is in the rear view mirror. Palmer topped the $2 million mark in 2014, but that was the only time he's done so in his career. Palmer simply doesn't have enough in the tank to improve upon what was a pretty good season last year. As such, he's not a good salary cap option this season.

Palmer experienced an odd 2016-17 season, as he missed four cuts to open the year, notched three top-11s in April, and the hit a wall at the end of the year, missing 4 of 6 cuts. The result was his first season below $1.4 million since 2009. Expect a strong rebound from Palmer this season, but his chances of claiming victory will be low.

Early in Palmer's career, he was known for the big splash. He's show up a few times a year, make a run and that would pretty much be it for the season. In his first seven seasons on the PGA Tour, he earned seven combined wins and runner-ups. Since 2010 though, he's been a much different player. He's turned-in the big splash for more consistent play and his overall numbers have improved. Palmer hasn't won since 2010, but he also hasn't fallen below $1.5 million in earnings either. Needless to say, another year above $1.5 million is in the cards this season, but how far above that number can he climb? Probably not enough to justify a salary cap selection. In drafts, Palmer should go in the sixth round.

Ryan Palmer is a very good golfer, but consistency from year to year, let alone week to week has never been his strong point. He's been in this rarified air before, he earned almost the exact same amount in 2010, but followed that season up with three seasons around the $1.5 million mark. He's been at this for a while now and it looks like his ceiling is around the $3 million mark, which makes him a poor choice for salary cap leagues this year. In draft leagues he should go in the 3rd or 4th round.

Palmer has long been known as a streaky player, but he started to show some consistency in 2013, which could lead to bigger and better things this year. Palmer earned most of his $1.5 million during four events where he finished in the top-10 last year, but he also showed a pretty solid cut percentage, missing only five cuts in 22 events. If he can maintain that consistency and sprinkle in some high-end finishes, he could be in for a solid season. He's worth a look in salary cap leagues and he should go in the 50-60 range in drafts.

Palmer last won on the PGA TOUR early in 2010, and while he's gone almost 36 months since that victory he's still managed to put up some good numbers. The problem with Palmer is his timing. He rarely plays well in big events, which is reflected in his earnings. Palmer may sneak a win in this season, but until he plays better when there's more on the line, he won't improve his earnings significantly. As such, Palmer is not a good option in salary cap formats this season. In draft leagues, look for him in the sixth or seventh round.

Palmer frustrates the heck out of his owners. Some weeks he'll play extremely well and others it's like he forgot how to play altogether. The problem with Palmer is his upside appears limited. His best season came in 2010 when he won the season-opening event on his way to nearly $3 million in earnings, but even during that season he had maddening stretches where he was completely irrelevant. It doesn't appear that Palmer will change his stripes anytime soon, and if you decide to take him, be aware that it's going to be a hit or miss every week, with little between. In draft leagues, Palmer should go in the fifth- to sixth-round range.

Palmer was the highest ranked "sandwich" golfer last season. Sandwich golfers play well early and late in the season, but don't produce during the meat of the season. Palmer won the Sony Open in early January last season and then didn't accomplish much of anything until late August when he finished second at the WGC Bridgestone. The problem with "sandwich" golfers is that most of their earnings fall outside the fantasy golf season. In Palmer's case, though, most of his earnings came just inside the standard fantasy golf season, so he's still a viable option. That said, he'll have a tough time matching last season's numbers. Palmer's success in 2010 was based largely on his putting, where he ranked 10th on the PGA TOUR last season.

Palmer has one year left for winning in 2008, but lightning in a bottle comes once a decade. Palmer has been mediocre with flashes of brillaince, but has yet to be a consistent PGA Tour player. Be cautious on drfat day, but he will have full playing privledges in 2010.

Palmer is no stranger to the million-dollar mark in earnings, but his upside is a question mark. What we do know is that he made most of his money last year against weaker fields. Not a good sign if you are looking for value.

Palmer played well early in 2006 and he played well late in 2006. That's not the formula you want when drafting golfers. To this point in his career, Palmer has played his best golf in the last few months of each season. His early success in 2006 is a good sign, but he still needs to get something done during the summer months.

Here's what to expect from Moore: slow start, strong finish. The question is, can he get it going earlier this year? In his 2004 rookie season, it took him 10 months to gain a top-10, last year it took seven months. While that looks like improvement, it takes more than two years before you can call that a trend. But Moore seems to play well once the switch is flipped. He just needs to flip that switch earlier this year. Another case where you are better off not taking him and watching to see if any progress is made.