Last year, the New England Patriots were severely lacking in the wide receiver department. They have several new faces this year, including rookie third-rounder Kyle Williams. With an opening at WR2 opposite Stefon Diggs, should fantasy football managers target the rookie this season?
Kyle Williams Fantasy Outlook
We should never get overly excited about third-round wide receivers. We really shouldn’t get too enthusiastic about late-second-round receivers. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t upside for a guy like Williams.
The Patriots enter the 2025 season with one reliable wide receiver. They have one guy they know for sure they can trust. That’s a 31-year-old fresh off a torn ACL that will likely keep him out the first month of the season, Diggs.
Even casting aside the potential that Diggs cannot return to his pre-injury form or is washed, this team has no clear WR2. Currently, behind Diggs, the Patriots feature Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, and Kayshon Boutte. 2024 early second-rounder Ja’Lynn Polk isn’t even a lock to make the team (which also provides a cautionary tale on Williams).
Nevertheless, none of the candidates for the WR2 and WR3 roles has a long track record of success. Every single one of them is beatable.
Williams is an older rookie at 23 years old, but broke out very young. He was productive every year of his college career, but especially in his final season at Washington State, hauling in 70 passes for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns in 13 games.
There’s always a chance a guy like Williams can’t translate his skills to the NFL. In football history, you can count on one hand the number of sure-thing prospects we’ve seen. And they were all early first-rounders.
What Williams offers the Patriots and fantasy managers is the unknown. We know what Hollins, Douglas, Bourne, and Boutte are. More importantly, we know what they are not — starting caliber NFL wide receivers. That’s not to say they are terrible. Instead, they are rotational WR 3/4/5s. They’re depth pieces. What if Williams is just really good?
Opposite Diggs, Kyle Williams 🔥 😮💨
Williams is coming in at a time where the offense is going to be designed around Maye. Big time impact incoming. 🚀
— Michael Rodnick (@MJRodnick) June 16, 2025
Williams’ average draft position (ADP) sits at WR61. It could climb with a strong preseason, but only so far for a third-round rookie. He’s going to be affordable in fantasy drafts.
MORE: Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
To get Williams on your roster, he would cost you a double-digit round pick and likely be the last wide receiver you draft. Whoever you draft in that spot is someone there’s a 95% chance you’re dropping anyway.
I have Williams ranked as my WR63, bunched together with a bunch of rookie and sophomore players. Those are the guys you want to take a shot on late in drafts. If Williams can merely average 10 fantasy points per game, you’ll have a positive return on investment.
