Detroit Lions running back Jamaal Williams is a veteran plodder who will never be a lead back but can be useful in a pinch. Williams was effective in stretches last season, including filling in for an injured D’Andre Swift. What can fantasy football managers expect from Williams in the 2022 season, and is he a good value at his current ADP in fantasy football drafts?
Jamaal Williams’ fantasy outlook for 2022
Williams has never been efficient. Nor has he ever had a full season of sustained utility. What he has been is useful in stretches. Williams is a competent player who coaches can rely on to “get the job done” when needed.
With the exception of 2018, Williams has averaged between 9.1 and 10.5 PPR fantasy points per game every year of his career. He’s been a relatively durable player, missing just nine games in five seasons.
Williams is also a capable receiver. He posted a career-high 9.7% target share in 2019. While that number dropped to 6.4% last season, he did see nine targets in Week 1. That proved to be an anomaly, but he more than proved he can still play that role if asked. It just wasn’t needed on the Lions.
Williams had four games over 13 fantasy points last season. It was the same number of games he had over 13 fantasy points the season before. He’s not flashy, with a career 4.0 yards per carry average, but he’s reliable.
How the Lions’ depth chart impacts Jamaal Williams’ fantasy projection for the season
Williams will open the season without any fantasy value. Swift is the clear lead back on this team and, most importantly, dominates receiving work. His 18.4% target share was second amongst running backs in 2021.
Where Williams’ value lies is as a potential handcuff to Swift — Craig Reynolds’ shock fantasy relevance in Weeks 14 and 15, notwithstanding.
Reynolds was tasked with operating as the Lions’ lead back while Williams and Swift were out in Weeks 14 and 15. Although he played well, when Williams returned in Week 16, it was right back to the bench for Reynolds. Williams averaged 14.3 carries per game over the Lions’ final three games of the 2021 season. In Week 18, with Swift back as well, Reynolds played 9% of the snaps and carried the ball three times. The 2021 data suggests this backfield will once again be Swift and Williams.
Is Williams still the handcuff to D’Andre Swift?
What does that mean for Williams’ fantasy value? Last season, Williams averaged 8.6 ppg with Swift in the lineup and 9.1 ppg without him (I removed Weeks 17 and 18 from this analysis because Swift was clearly far less than 100% inexplicably returning from injury for two meaningless games). Williams averaged 10.3 carries and 2.5 targets per game.
Williams may not be as valuable of a handcuff as some think. However, he is someone worth rostering. I wouldn’t necessarily draft Williams because he lacks any sort of upside, but he will undoubtedly be on fantasy rosters and in lineups at various points throughout the season. Injuries happen. Players bust. Bye weeks wreck havoc on lineups. Williams is and always has been that guy you can put in your lineup and know he won’t get you zero.
Williams’ ADP for 2022
Williams’ ADP is in an interesting spot. Positionally, he’s well inside the top 60 running backs, which is about the threshold for how many get drafted in a standard-sized 12-team league. Overall, though, he’s around 195th, which means he doesn’t always get drafted.
Williams is still likely the primary handcuff for Swift, so there’s value in taking him. With your final skill position pick, while we always say to chase upside, I’m not sure if you will find anyone with more upside than Williams. That’s especially so if you factor in the likelihood of a player hitting their ceiling. Williams just needs a Swift injury to be a weekly RB2.
He’s our consensus RB46. I’m a little lower on him at RB52, but I’m still in line with ADP and willing to take Williams if he’s the top running back on my board.
