Week 3 at Minnesota Vikings
Mike Williams had a pretty decent Week 2, although it could have been much better. Williams saw 13 targets against the Titans but was only able to return eight grabs for 83 yards. His deeds saw him earn 12.6 Half PPR points, good for WR30 on the week.
A matchup with the Vikings should be good enough to really kickstart Williams' season, with the game hinting at being a veritable shootout. Williams should be treated as a safe WR2 option in Week 3.
Week 2 at Tennessee Titans
Mike Williams didn't exactly get his season off to a flying start against the Miami Dolphins. Williams saw five targets - a 16% share - which he converted into four grabs for 45 scoreless yards. Williams scored 6.5 Half-PPR points and finished the week as the WR49. Not great.
The Chargers should look to attack the Titans through the air, after operating at a balanced clip a week ago. This should see an increase in opportunities for Williams and puts him firmly into the WR2 conversation this week.
Week 1 vs Miami Dolphins
After posting strong numbers in 2021, fantasy managers can be forgiven for feeling quite underwhelmed by Mike Williams in 2022. He caught 63 passes for 895 yards and four scores, quite a drop from the 76-1146-9 line from a year earlier. Williams averaged 11.7 Half-PPR points per game and finished as the WR19, just ahead of Keenan Allen.
There has been offseason buzz around Williams seeing work in the slot, which would definitely increase his fantasy appeal. Still, it seems like something we need to see before we get too excited about it. Williams should be in line for a WR2 kind of week against the Dolphins in Week 1. The Dolphins ranked 20th in aFPA to wide receivers a year ago.
Fantasy Upside
When healthy, Mike Williams has been very productive. He's topped 1,000 receiving yards twice and caught at least 85 passes in each of the past four seasons. Williams has put up touchdown receiving seasons of 10 in 2018 and nine in 2021 but has only found the end zone 11 times in his other four seasons. As 4for4's John Paulsen notes, Keenan Allen is still the team’s WR1, but like Williams, he has a tendency to get nicked up as well, and Williams’s role grows when Allen misses time. Even with Allen on the field, Williams has averaged a solid 4.0-60-0.42 on 6.6 targets per game over the last three seasons. Paulsen added Williams was 20th in yards per route run and thrives on contested catches.
Fantasy Downside
Staying healthy is always a major concern with Williams, who has played a full campaign just once in six NFL seasons. True to form, he missed four regular-season games due to injury in 2022 and also sat out the post-season loss to the Jaguars due to a back injury sustained in Week 18. In addition, you might expect more consistent figures with Justin Herbert throwing the ball his way. Williams had three 100-yard outings in a four-game span early last season when he was fully healthy and only topped the mark once the remainder of the season. He had 25 receptions in those three outings, roughly 40 percent of his season output. Yardage-wise, he had less than 20 yards in three of the first six games.
2023 Bottom Line
As long as he stays healthy, he should provide WR2 production and that makes him a good value as the WR22 in our rankings.
Week 17 vs Los Angeles Rams
Mike Williams was efficient without being overly productive in Week 16 against the Colts. He saw four targets and brought them all in for 76 yards. But he failed to find the end zone for the second game in a row and has only scored once since Week 7. Williams posted 9.6 Half PPR points and finished as the WR35 in Week 16.
Williams has a fairly decent matchup against what has become a rather middling Los Angeles Rams defense. The Rams rank 15th in aFPA to wide receivers, having allowed the eighth most receiving yards to the position in 2022. Williams projects to be a steady, yet unspectacular, WR2 option this week.
Week 16 at Indianapolis Colts
Mike Williams came down to earth with a bump in Week 15 against the Titans. After a six-catch,116-yard game against the Dolphins, Williams caught four of his eight targets for 67 yards against the Titans. 35 of these yards came on a single play in the fourth quarter. Williams finished with 8.7 Half PPR points, good for WR38 in Week 15.
The Colts rank 17th in aFPA to wide receivers this season, despite only allowing the fifth-fewest receiving yards to wideouts this year. Williams should be able to put up high-end WR2 numbers this week.
Week 15 vs. Tennessee Titans
Mike Williams made his return for the Chargers in Week 14 and looked like he'd never left. Williams caught all six of his targets for 116 yards and a touchdown. He has four games this season with more than 100 yards and also has four touchdowns this season. Williams scored 20.6 Half PPR points on his way to a WR5 finish last week.
Williams should be able to pick right up in Week 15 against the Titans. The Titans rank 31st in aFPA to wide receivers, allowing the third-most receptions and receiving yards along with the second-most touchdowns along the way. Williams projects as a high-end WR2 this week.
Week 11 vs Kansas City Chiefs
Mike Williams is set to return for the Chargers in Week 11 after not playing since Week 7. Williams has 37 grabs for 495 yards and three touchdowns this season.
The Chiefs rank 28th in aPFA to wide receivers. Assuming Williams commands something approaching his usual workload, he should be viewed as a low-end WR2 this week
Week 7 vs Seattle Seahawks
Mike Williams had a very ordinary outing against the Broncos in Week 6. He saw six targets, but could only reel in two for 17 yards. Williams managed just 2.7 Half PPR points, finishing as the WR68. After six weeks, Williams is the WR26 in fantasy points per game.
Williams should be better in Week 7, but the Seahawks have not allowed wide receivers to have their way with them so far this season. They rank third in aFPA to wide outs in 2022. Treat Williams as mid-tier WR2 this week.
Week 6 vs. Denver Broncos
Mike Williams continued his recent run of good form against the Browns in Week 5. He didn't find the end zone for the second game in a row, but he did set season highs with 10 grabs for 134 yards. Williams has 100 yards and/or a touchdown in each of his last four games. In Week 5 he clocked up 18.4 Half PPR points, making him the WR9.
On paper, Williams has a tough out in Week 6 against the Denver Broncos. The Broncos trail only the Philadelphia Eagles in aFPA to wide receivers this season with 21.2 Half PPR points allowed per game to the position. Still, if Keenan Allen is still out, Williams should see enough targets to keep him in the WR1 conversation. You should treat him as such in Week 6.
