As the Kansas City Chiefs look to get back on track, fantasy football managers head into Monday Night Football searching for last-minute heroics to pull out a victory of their own. With options running thin, should fantasy managers trust Chiefs RB Darrel Williams and start him against the New York Giants with their Week 8 fantasy hopes on the line?
Darrel Williams has stepped up for the Chiefs when called on in recent weeks
As we have become all too painfully aware this season, injuries, especially to running backs, can quickly derail a team in both the NFL and fantasy football. The Chiefs joined the list of teams to suffer an injury to their starting running back when Clyde Edwards-Helaire sprained his MCL in Week 5 and was subsequently placed on injured reserve. In his place stepped Williams, who has played well when given a chance (or when the game script has allowed).
In Week 6, Williams carried the ball 21 times for 62 yards with 2 rushing touchdowns against Washington, adding 3 receptions on 4 targets for 27 yards as the Chiefs won convincingly.
However, things did not go as smoothly in Week 7. In a blowout 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans, the Chiefs had to quickly abandon the running game, which all but ended any fantasy upside Williams carried into the game.
Williams recorded just 5 carries for 20 yards in Week 8 while playing on 64% of the snaps. He also matched his previous game total with 3-of-4 receiving, this time for 30 yards. His RB30 finish was a stark decline from his RB7 ranking of the week prior, which burned many fantasy managers who believed they could rely on the fourth-year running back on what is usually a high-powered offense.
Williams has a chance to win fantasy managers back in Week 8
This is a must-win for the Chiefs, which is a bizarre thing to say for a Week 8 game — especially it concerns the three-time defending AFC champion. At just 3-4, the Chiefs are in last place in their division despite averaging 419 yards per game on offense.
The defense has been the issue, sitting near the bottom of the league in virtually every conceivable metric. But they have a chance to right the ship against the New York Giants. In doing so, I also expect the running game to rebound as well.
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Entering Week 8, the Giants allow the fourth-most total yards per game to opposing running backs (160.4 yards) and the fifth-most in rushing yards (112.5). With New York allowing over 4.5 yards per carry, Williams has a great shot to bounce back as a solid RB2 who could find the end zone at least once.
For fantasy, the Giants come in No. 26 in points allowed per game to RBs (26.7). Given that Andy Reid is the type of coach who rides with one primary ball carrier, Williams could see over 18 opportunities and be enough to pull out a Monday Night Football miracle for fantasy managers.
Be prepared to sell high on Williams following MNF
Timing is everything in fantasy. You need to know not only what is happening but also why. Why is a player getting the workload they currently are, and is it sustainable? This is a critical point for Williams — his window for fantasy value is potentially about to slam shut.
Under the NFL’s injured reserve rules, a player must miss a minimum of three games before a team can designate him to return and activate him to the 53-man roster. Edwards-Helaire must miss Week 8 due to the timing of his injury but can return in Week 9 should he be deemed healthy to return.
Once CEH returns, expect this to be his backfield once again, relegating Williams to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. At best, Williams would see a handful of touches — but he wouldn’t be anywhere near trustworthy. There is even the possibility Kansas City turns to a committee backfield approach, and which would tank everyone’s value.
If Williams has a good game in Week 8 against the Giants as expected, I would be trying to trade him to someone else in my leagues who might not believe Edwards-Helaire will come back to the same volume. Even if they are correct, that only means we end up with a messy backfield that makes every RB involved challenging to trust. Use the timing of Edwards-Helaire’s pending return to sell Williams for a quick return and get far away from a potential headache.