The New York Jets are still trying to find themselves offensively since the return of Aaron Rodgers and a number of new additions to the team. One of those new additions, wide receiver Mike Williams, has struggled to build himself a role alongside options like Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall.
Williams, who spent seven seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, is coming off an ACL tear suffered in Week 3 of the 2023 season. In his two games with New York, Williams only has one reception for 19 yards. However, that was the only target he has seen in his short time with the Jets.
Tonight, on Thursday Night Football, the Jets take on the surprising New England Patriots as New York tries to get a second win in a row. Against one of the best defenses in the league, what can we expect from this Jets offensive trio?
Mike Williams’ Outlook Against New England
Williams has not been on the injury report this past week, but the team has been open about its strategy of slowly working the oft-injured WR into the game plan.
Coming off an ACL injury last year, the Jets continue to be cautious. However, Week 2 was clearly a step up compared to his debut.
Williams saw 37 snaps (65% of the team total) in New York’s 24-17 road win over the Tennessee Titans, which was a significant increase from the targetless nine reps he took during the opener against the 49ers.
Mike Williams' next stop: New York 💚 🤍@darealmike_dub | @nyjets pic.twitter.com/PhkLLsxLH7
— NFL (@NFL) March 19, 2024
“He feels good,” head coach Robert Saleh said. “That was one of the first questions we asked him yesterday. He feels really good. He had 35 snaps, from my understanding, so he wants more, and his body feels good, so we’re going to continue to get him involved.”
In his time with the Chargers, Williams amassed 309 receptions for 4,806 yards. Over 90 career appearances, the talented, big-play option is averaging 15.6 yards per reception.
Williams’ Fantasy Outlook
I stand by my preseason prior that there will be a time and a place for Williams to slide into your Flex spot (deeper formats), but we aren’t there yet.
Williams was on a very specific snap count restriction to open the season, and, true to reporting, the Jets are lengthening his leash much the way they did with Hall off of his own ACL injury last season.
Williams isn’t a Flex option this week, and I don’t think he is a must-roster until this offense finds its groove, though I’m still stashing him in leagues with deeper benches.
Through two weeks, the Jets are actually averaging fewer red-zone trips this season (2.0) than they did during the mess that was 2024 (2.2).
I think you’re going to want this scoring equity down the stretch as the Jets face the Dolphins, Jaguars, Rams, and Bills to close the fantasy season.
– Kyle Soppe, PFN Fantasy Analyst