Looking across the NFL, there are plenty of players who went from being one team’s trash to another team’s treasure. Depending on scheme fit and opportunity, some players may blossom on specific teams.
That’s been the case for Javonte Williams with the Dallas Cowboys. He signed a one-year deal this offseason after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos.
How Is Javonte Williams Fitting Into the Cowboys’ Offense So Far?
During his time in Denver, Williams showed flashes of NFL starting potential. But a torn ACL in the fourth game of the 2022 season set him back. He never fully regained the explosiveness of his rookie year, which contributed to the Broncos letting him walk in free agency.
However, things couldn’t have started better for Williams in Dallas. He looks explosive again and has assumed the bell-cow role in one of the league’s top offenses.
Through five games with the Cowboys, Williams has 79 carries for 447 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and five rushing touchdowns. Additionally, Williams has an RB Impact Score of 90.5, according to PSFN, which ranks as the third best in football.
The Cowboys’ revamped rushing attack has benefited from scheme changes by head coach Brian Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams. Even with a backup offensive lineman in the lineup, Dallas is opening holes for Williams, and he’s making them count.
According to RJ Ochoa, Williams’ 300 rushing yards and four touchdowns across the first four games of the season mark the first time for a Cowboys running back since 2021. It is also only the second time in a decade.
The Cowboys have made it clear that they want to run the ball more effectively this season, and they are doing just that.
Williams’ Fantasy Outlook for Week 6
Here’s what PFSN’s Kyle Soppe wrote about Williams’ fantasy outlook for Week 6:
The irony of Javonte Williams totaling 139 yards and two scores the same week in which the man he replaced this offseason runs for over 200 yards was not lost on anyone.
The Week 5 scoring was off the charts for both him and Rico Dowdle, but I can’t imagine Dallas is at all regretting their decision at all. Williams has scored six times this season and is averaging 5.7 yards per carry, gaining yardage on an astronomical 92.4% of his carries (2022: 79.9%).
With 15+ carries in four of five games and 15+ receiving yards in four of five, we are looking at a running back tethered to a team that needs to score 25+ points weekly to keep up. Williams gets the rare projected benefit of a game script this week, and that has him flirting with top-10 status for me this week.
If you roster Williams, this is the type of player who reminds you why you love the game.
If you don’t, studies say you’re 17% more likely to hate on the industry and dismiss the work we put in during the preseason in trying to identify breakout candidates.
