Arizona Cardinals running back Darrel Williams looks to replace Chase Edmonds as James Conner’s primary backup. What is Williams’ current ADP in fantasy drafts, and should fantasy football managers draft him at that price?
Darrel Williams ADP | Is he worth his current price in fantasy drafts?
Williams’ ADP is around 220th overall. But at running back specifically, he is going as the RB55-60 in fantasy football drafts. That’s more in line with where we have him ranked in our consensus rankings — RB50 in PPR. It’s not a guarantee Williams will be drafted in a typical 12-team league, but if he does, it’s a fine pick.
Williams’ ADP is around other running backs with clear standalone value. His most likely path to value is a James Conner injury. If that happens, Williams would immediately become one of that week’s top waiver wire adds. For that reason alone, you can justify drafting him.
Darrel Williams’ projected fantasy value in 2022
For a UDFA with 4.72 speed, Williams has become quite the productive NFL player. He’s played in 42 games and proven capable when he gets volume.
In games where Williams carried the ball at least eight times, he averaged 15.7 PPR fantasy points. Those are just under RB1 numbers. Last season, Williams averaged a career-best 11.5 ppg for the season. In every game where he had double-digit carries, Williams scored double-digit fantasy points.
Williams finds himself in as good of a situation as he could’ve asked for. No team is ever going to make Williams their lead back. He should probably be a third-stringer, but he’s consistently outproduced his athleticism. As a result, he earned the backup role in Kansas City and is poised to do the same in Arizona.
Conner is the clear RB1, but there’s nothing clear behind him following Edmonds’ departure. Williams just needs to beat out 2020 seventh-rounder Eno Benjamin and 2021 sixth-rounder Keaontay Ingram. I like his chances.
Williams will be fantasy relevant if Conner misses time
Last year, Conner averaged 17.2 ppg as the Cardinals’ top fantasy running back. He wasn’t flashy or exciting; the role is just very favorable for fantasy scoring.
Conner was a three-down back in all games Edmonds missed last season. I expect him to continue in that role. Unfortunately, Conner is unlikely to hold up for 17 games with that level of volume. If and when he misses time, Williams should operate as the lead back.
When that happens, Williams will almost certainly be on the RB2 radar for that given week. While I don’t see Williams having any standalone value, his fantasy outlook will turn up pretty quickly, sans Conner.
As the starter, Williams will mostly get what’s blocked. He can catch passes at a competent level. Just don’t expect any splash plays. Williams averaged just 1.7 yards after contact per carry in 2021. He had a great thing going in Kansas City, but landing in Arizona might be just as good.