Jameson Williams has strung together two straight WR2 seasons after doing essentially nothing as a rookie, which is a rare path for a receiver.
The way he gets there is what should worry fantasy managers. His weekly production swings wildly, and the one factor that unlocked him last year has been reversed. This is a name that requires a close look before you spend a pick.
Should You Draft Jameson Williams in Fantasy Football?
Williams might be viewed as the Robin to two Batmans in his own NFL offense.
As of early September, Williams has an ADP of 56.2. His PFN rank is 50, and his projected points per game for the coming season is 13.2. He’s ranked as the WR26 on PFN’s board. The Batmans in question, of course, are Amon-Ra St. Brown at wide receiver and Jahmyr Gibbs at running back. We know those two players. That’s who the Lions offense is going to run through.
But Williams has quietly been trending up with his usage and his volume in recent years. In 2025, he had his best career fantasy finish by a sizable margin, finishing as the WR12 in PPR leagues and the WR10 in half-PPR formats, breaking the top 10. He achieved career highs in targets, receptions, and yardage, and tied his career high for touchdowns with an output of 7.
He also generated 0.52 EPA per play, as well as over 3 full yards of run after catch over expectation on the year per reception, an absolutely absurd efficiency number. He was also third in the entire league in 20-plus-yard receptions, true to his reputation as a big-play threat, behind only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The feature of Puka and JSN is that they’re true high-level target funnels while also serving as big-play generators. Williams is more exclusively the latter, but he is developing a more well-rounded separation and volume profile as the WR2 alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown, with very little target competition behind them at wide receiver.
Drops are still a pressing issue. He had a drop rate that exceeded 9% in 2025 after a refreshing dip down in 2024. But from Week 10 onward in 2025, after Dan Campbell took over play calling again, Williams had 5 top-12 weekly finishes in fantasy football. In 5 of the final 6 games of the regular season, he had at least 8 targets. The volume was definitely there for him too.
The new offensive coordinator is sure to keep Campbell’s vision of involving Williams in the offense alive. Not only that, but Williams is actively earning that increased role with results. The Lions’ offensive line is intact. Jared Goff will be protected in the pocket.
Sam LaPorta is dealing with an injury that may only widen Williams’ opportunities as a primary target of the offense. A vulnerable defense may keep the Lions in higher-scoring games in which Williams will only be depended on more for crucial gains, scores, and momentum shifts. When the Lions’ defense succumbed to injuries and inconsistent play in 2025, the offense’s passing rate skyrocketed from 21st in 2024 to 11th in 2025.
At his ADP, outside the top 50, Jamo, in my opinion, is a smash value. He’s a must-have in half-PPR leagues where more explosive gains are rewarded, but he’s also an astronomical upside play in PPR leagues with a growing role in a very, very proven offense.
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Jameson Williams’ Week 1 Fantasy Outlook
Analysis provided by PFN Analyst Kyle Soppe.
Williams came out of Alabama with an NFL-ready skill when it comes to stretching the field. Through two seasons, that’s essentially all he was asked to do, and while the go routes are still a big part of this profile, it’s not all that he offers, and that’s the driving factor behind me considering him a viable low-end WR2 with consistency this year.
His average depth of target has settled in around 12 yards recently, usage that certainly encourages big plays, but is by no means limited to those splash plays the way he was early in his career with a mark closer to 17 yards.
That doesn’t mean that a floor doesn’t exist: it very much does. Even with these gains, he had 7 weeks in 2025 where he finished outside of the top 50 receivers.
The number of impressive options in the Motor City is going to make those valleys a part of doing business, but I do think JaMo posts a third consecutive 1,000-yard season and that the opener will skew closer to the best version of him given that the Saints tied with the Cowboys and these Lions for the most 25+ touchdown passes allowed a season ago.
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Where Williams Ranks Among 2026 Wide Receivers
- Tetairoa McMillan | CAR
- Garrett Wilson | NYJ
- Luther Burden III | CHI
- Parker Washington | JAX
- Christian Watson | GB
- Jameson Williams | DET
- Rome Odunze | CHI
- Carnell Tate | TEN
- Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI
- DJ Moore | BUF
- Davante Adams | LAR
Know the position inside and out with every WR, ranked, on PFN’s 2026 PPR Board.
