The New Orleans Saints are running it back with the Alvin Kamara-Jamaal Williams backfield duo from last year. Just two years removed from leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns, is there any juice left in the proverbial squeeze for Williams? Should fantasy football managers target him as a handcuff this season?
Jamaal Williams’ Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
You don’t need me to tell you Williams has no standalone fantasy value. Kamara may be getting up in there in age, but it’s not as if Williams provides a younger, more explosive alternative. Both of these backs are 29 years old.
The Saints drafted Kendre Miller last year with the expectation he would be the RB2 and eventually take over as the lead back. Unfortunately, Miller has been unable to stay on the field to even give himself a chance to do so. That resulted in an abundance of volume for Kamara last season, as well as Williams remaining the clear next man up.
Heading into the 2024 season, it is more of the same. Miller is once again sidelined due to injury, leaving Kamara as the RB1 and Williams as the RB2.
For better or worse, Kamara is going to get all the work he can handle. Last season, this resulted in Williams being limited to a 35.7% opportunity share. As a result, he didn’t top 7.2 fantasy points in a single game until Week 17.
As a quick reminder, Kamara was suspended for the first three games of last season, meaning Williams opened the season as the starter. However, in Week 1, he turned 18 carries and two receptions into just 52 total scoreless yards.
Williams is one of the most fun guys in the NFL. It would be awesome if he somehow found the fountain of youth, but it’s just not going to happen.
Williams displayed clear signs of decline last season, averaging a meager 2.9 yards per carry. On his 106 attempts, just one went for 15+ yards.
Williams’ 3.0 yards per touch was outside the top 50. He also does not contribute in the passing game, with a total of 30 receptions over the past two seasons combined.
Is Williams a Good Fantasy Pick?
When looking for handcuffs in fantasy, we need two things. First, we need confidence the player is the one most likely to benefit should the starter go down. With Williams, we have that.
Second, we need confidence that if thrust into the starting role, the handcuff could perform at a reasonable percentage of the starter’s level. If anything, we have substantial evidence that Williams can’t even come close.
Williams has never been a prolific producer. Even going back to his Green Bay Packers days, Williams was just a guy. Now, he’s just a guy who is perilously close to the end of his career.
If Kamara were to go down, Williams would be a waiver wire add based on potential volume alone. Plus, there’s always the chance he falls into the end zone.
In deeper leagues, every team’s RB2 will be rostered. However, if you’re in a standard-sized league, there’s no reason to draft Williams. Even if he ends up in a best-case scenario, the upside doesn’t exist.