Having been activated to the 53-man roster, Damien Williams rejoins the Chicago Bears as they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7 for what could be a challenging game. As he faces a run defense that has stifled opponents all season, can fantasy football managers trust Williams in his first game back? Or should he remain on the bench, even in a week where bye weeks have decimated depth?
The Bears activate Damien Williams off the COVID-19 list
On Saturday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported the Bears had activated Williams off the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of the team’s Week 7 matchup against Tampa Bay.
He spent 10 days on the list, which is the minimum amount of time for an unvaccinated player who tests positive for the coronavirus. Williams opted out of the 2020 season due to health concerns, as his mother had been recently diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.
Williams is likely to split reps with Khalil Herbert in Week 7
The question for a player returning to a team after missing a game is always what his workload might look like. Following the extended absence of David Montgomery (knee – IR), the Bears opted for a committee approach with Williams and Khalil Herbert in Week 5.
Williams was effective despite the split, however. He rushed 16 times for 64 yards while finding the end zone, adding 2 receptions on 3 targets for 20 yards. On the season, Williams has rushed 32 times for 137 times and caught 10 passes (13 targets) for 61 yards.
But as mentioned, Herbert will see his fair share of touches. In Week 5, he led Williams in rushes with 18 for 75 yards. He continued his success in Week 6, rushing 19 times for 97 yards with a score.
From a fantasy standpoint, things become problematic when we add in the matchup plus the current state of Chicago’s offense.
The Bears could struggle to move the ball on the ground vs. Tampa
At this point of the year, we have a decent idea of the strengths and weaknesses of teams. Trends have shown themselves as offensive coordinators learn where they can find success. Through six games, OCs have unanimously decided running against the Buccaneers’ front seven is an exercise in futility.
For one, Tampa Bay faces — by far — the fewest rushing attempts per game. Of the 361 plays opponents have run, just 27% have been running plays (16.3 per game). And when opponents have run, they’ve done so without success. Running backs are averaging just 3.39 yards per carry (No. 31) and 42.3 yards per game (No. 32) against Tampa.
Based on those splits and how both RBs have been used, Herbert will likely be impacted the most as he has been the primary rushing back for the Bears.
On the other hand, Williams could find some success, albeit muted, based on his ability in the receiving game. Williams has traditionally been used as a receiving back, recording over 1,100 receiving yards and 10 TDs on his 148 career receptions. While the Buccaneers have stopped rushers, pass-catching backs have fared a bit better, recording 5.9 yards per target (No. 11) and 52 yards per game (No. 29).
Should fantasy managers start or sit Williams in Week 7?
Desperate times call for desperate measures. This week is flat-out brutal. There are six teams on a bye, and five of those are filled with weekly fantasy starters (sorry, not sorry, Jacksonville). Add in the injuries, and guys like Williams become potential starting options.
To me, Williams is little more than a desperation flex play. Basically, everything is working against him. The matchup is brutal, Herbert is playing great, it’s his first game back, and the Bears are likely to fall behind quickly and by a lot. It’s hard to find the positives when your team is 27th in pace and 30th in scoring.
If you are in a PPR league and think Williams could see 5 or so targets and get a handful of carries, I get it — if you’re desperate. But he’s far from an upside play, which is typically what you are looking for in a bye week fill-in.