As a Detroit Lion, Jamaal Williams was one of the breakout players and personalities of the 2022 season, but he struggled tremendously after moving to New Orleans. This year, he had a modest but promising opening-week performance — is he a viable fantasy option once again?
Should Jamaal Williams Be Added on the Fantasy Waiver Wire in Week 2?
Williams led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns along with over 1,000 rushing yards as he exploded onto the scene in 2022. He defied the odds by breaking out as a running back at the age of 27, raising questions as to just how sustainable his production was.
We’ll never know if he could have replicated his performance with the Lions, who brought in veteran back David Montgomery and drafted rookie Jahmyr Gibbs to form perhaps the league’s best backfield. Williams moved to New Orleans and had a tough first year with the Saints; he recorded just 306 yards and a single touchdown.
With hopes that this year would be better, Williams matched his 2023 touchdown total by scoring on opening day. His rushing yardage total wasn’t much to write home about, but touchdowns were a huge part of what gave him value in 2022; a return to a significant goal-line role would make Williams extremely useful in fantasy leagues once more.
Bringing in Williams off of the waiver wire could be a shrewd move. Although Alvin Kamara looked fantastic, the carry split between the two backs was 15 for Kamara and 11 for Williams, signaling a potentially significant role for Williams this year.
However, it is worth noting the game script, and how it may not be indicative of what the Saints will experience every week. Williams’s TD was the final score of the day, giving the Saints a 47-10 lead, so it’s possible that it was not a carry he might have been given in a closer game.
In general, there may not be some 37 carries to go around every week, especially with Kamara returning to form. Williams doesn’t catch passes like his backfield counterpart does, and his per-carry efficiency (3.5 yards) is the exact same as his season average last year.
None of this is to say that Williams can’t be a valuable roster addition; it just might not be wise to upend your roster to trade for him. Similarly, when looking around your roster to clear space to add him as a free agent, don’t send out any consistent producers to get him onto your team.
