Jameson Williams Week 5 FAAB | How Much to Spend on Jameson Williams
The Detroit Lions have started the season strong and got great news during the fourth week of the NFL season when the league announced that Jameson Williams’ six-game suspension was being reduced to four instead. That means Williams could return to the field this week when the Lions take on the Carolina Panthers.
Some fantasy owners had hoped to pick Williams up a week before he returned, but the NFL’s abrupt announcement will create a frenzy for the talented wideout before week 5. Our charts showed that Williams was owned in just 35% of leagues coming into week 4.
If you are looking for some receiver help, or simply have a roster spot to play with, should you be adding Williams? If he starts playing immediately, when can you start him? If you need to bid on players, how much of your budget should go toward Williams? Let’s discuss it all.
Jameson Williams Fantasy Football Outlook
Williams was the 12th overall pick of the Lions during the 2022 NFL Draft, but missed most of the year with a torn ACL. As his high draft pick would suggest, Williams has all the talent in the world. He simply hasn’t been able to showcase it quite yet.
Williams played in six games during the 2022-23 season. He was targeted nine times and caught just one pass, but turned that into a 41-yard touchdown. Williams also got a carry, breaking it for a 40-yard gain.
The rookie only played 78 offensive snaps across those six games. I almost equate that to a preseason for a first-year player.
Obviously, the suspension was not ideal for Williams, and it might take some time for him to get familiarized with game speed and the offense again. Coach Dan Campbell talked a bit about Williams on Monday, when the youngster was officially reinstated.
I’d expect Williams to be on some sort of snap count, or part of some kind of package, for the first couple weeks. Depending on how he looks, at that point the team might increase his workload.
So Should You Add Williams?
If you are lacking at wide receiver or simply are trying to find the next breakout star, Williams is a guy I like a lot this week. Given how week 4 of the season went, and not seeing any big-time injuries at the position, I actually view Williams as not only one of the top wideouts available, but also a top player overall.
It might take a couple weeks for Williams to start putting up big numbers on the field, but I’d rather grab him now for cheaper instead of paying a premium if he has a big week down the line.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is the unquestioned No. 1 wideout for the team, but after that, there isn't a receiver locked into place. Josh Reynolds has been pretty good in the early portion of the season, but he’s been streaky. Marvin Jones is the third option, and he’s seen his snaps and targets dry up the past couple weeks.
Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta has been the most consistent No. 2 receiving option for Detroit, but he shouldn’t affect the amount of snaps Williams could get, and there will still be plenty of targets available for the second-year player.
How Much FAAB Should You Spend on Williams
Even with the news of Williams’ suspension being shortened a couple weeks, I think he might fly under the radar a bit across many leagues. He didn’t produce a lot last season and hasn’t accomplished anything so far this year, so some fantasy owners that don’t do enough digging are going to overlook him.
For that reason, I don’t expect you to have to break the bank to acquire him. Taking a look back at week 4 to try and figure out what Williams’ final bid budget number might be, I look to Los Angeles Chargers receiver Joshua Palmer.
Palmer, who was a waiver wire favorite last week after teammate Mike Williams was lost for the season with an injury, finished with a bid budget percentage of 12. Palmer had a little more NFL experience to his name than Jameson Williams, but the Lions’ wideout has more raw talent to work with.
I expect Williams to end up around 15% by the time things are said and done. I’d be willing to spend closer to 20-25% for Williams, as I think he’ll blossom into the No. 2 option in a couple weeks and be a must start for the remainder of the season. Be sure to check out Williams' latest predictive bid budget number in the Fantasy Assistant tool.
Speaking of starting Williams, I would probably advise against starting him against the Panthers this weekend. Not only was Carolina one of the top defenses in slowing opposing wideouts coming into week 4, but I expect the Lions to ease Williams back into the swing of things. To put up a meaningful score, Williams would probably have to score himself or have a couple long plays. He showed he could produce those last year, but I’d wait at least one week before popping him into the starting role.
