Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams is entering a crucial third year of his NFL career, and the fantasy community appears to be a bit divided about his projections for the 2024 season. Can Williams finally live up to the lofty fantasy expectations many have for him?
Jameson Williams’ 2024 Fantasy Outlook
- Total Fantasy Points: 164.7
- Receptions: 38.8
- Receiving Yards: 650.0
- Receiving TDs: 6.0
- Rushing Yards: 162.5
- Rushing TDs: 1.5
These are PFN’s consensus projections, correct as of July 5. The most up-to-date projections can be found in our Who Should I Draft Tool.
Should You Draft Williams This Year?
If we are being honest with ourselves, Williams’ overall fantasy profile is nothing to write home about.
The context of Williams coming off of an ACL injury that he sustained during his last year at Alabama is required, but Williams catching a grand total of one pass for 41 yards over a six-game sample size is objectively not good.
Additionally, Williams served a four-game suspension to start the 2023 NFL season, but still finished with just 24 receptions for 354 yards and two scores over his 12 games last year. On a per-game basis, Williams averaged just two receptions for 29 yards per game.
Again, objectively not very good.
The last concern I have regarding an aggressive fantasy projection for Williams in 2024 is the target competition is borderline elite in this Detroit offense.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best young wide receivers in the league who’s seen his targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns climb in all three years of his NFL career. I don’t see Williams threatening St. Brown’s alpha role in this passing attack.
Then, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs both showcased dynamic pass-catching ability in their respective rookie years, which makes it hard to believe either one of these elite options are going to take a significant step back in usage or production in favor of Williams in 2024.
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The one saving grace for Williams’ truthers was his expanded role toward the very end of the year and in the postseason. He scored 8+ fantasy points in the final three games of his regular season and managed to score two touchdowns in the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers.
Speaking of the Niners, if there is a reference point to justifying a jump in production, it would come in the form of the blueprint we saw from the 49ers’ offense last year. The Niners’ highly efficient offense managed to make four players top 20 options at their respective fantasy positions. The Lions’ offense projects to be among the elite this upcoming season. The roles could stay similar for St. Brown, LaPorta, and Gibbs while ceding a reliable fourth option role to Williams.
Williams has the top-shelf vertical playmaking ability to win isolation matchups on the perimete while other defensive resources are allocated to slowing down the other playmakers in this offense. If Williams’ case of the dropsies is cured, then he could be one of the most productive deep weapons in the league in 2024.
Williams’ ADP at No. 118 overall in the 10th round as the WR49 off the board comes with plenty of upside at a very reasonable price.
We’ve seen the fantasy floor from Williams through his first two years in the NFL, and it hasn’t been pretty. I do see an expanded role for Williams in this offense in 2024. Unfortunately, I don’t think it will be enough to propel him into the WR2 picture this year. Yet, he does feel like a player who can — and will — contribute to your fantasy roster this season.