Week 12 vs. Buffalo Bills
Three rushing touchdowns for Jamaal Williams in Week 11 as he has taken over the lead for the Lions in the backfield with D’Andre Swift still not quite 100 percent healthy. Williams now leads the league with 12 rushing touchdowns. Even against Buffalo, no reason to go against the hot hand and a key reason Detroit has won three straight games.
Week 11 at New York Giants
We figured Jamaal Williams would still be involved with the return of D'Andre Swift, but Williams looks to be the top fantasy option now for the Lions. He gets the early-down work and red-zone work and is up to nine touchdowns this season. And he gets a favorable matchup this week against a bottom-ten Rush DVOA team in the Giants. His volume and a good matchup equal a worthy start this week for Williams.
Week 10 at Chicago Bears
Jamaal Williams looks to have taken the lead role in the Detroit backfield. Even with D'Andre Swift back, Williams saw 24 carries against the Packers. He'll get the red-zone work ahead of Swift, so you can make the argument Williams is now the top fantasy back in Detroit, especially in a very favorable matchup against the Bears. Williams is a borderline RB1 this week.
Week 9 vs. Green Bay Packers
Even with D'Andre Swift returning last week, Jamaal Williams isn't being forgotten about. He saw ten carries and took them for 53 yards and rushed for two touchdowns, as he got goal-line work over Swift. That trend will likely continue, though Swift may start getting more work between the 20s as he gets healthier. Still, Williams has enough to warrant flex, maybe even RB2, consideration.
Week 8 vs. Miami Dolphins
Jamaal Williams will go back to his RB2 role with D'Andre Swift coming back, but he's earned work even with Swift on the field. Williams will take some carries away from Swift and could also still operate as the goal-line back for the Lions. He's worthy of a flex spot this week, but his ceiling is capped with Swift back.
Week 7 at Dallas Cowboys
Jamaal Williams did a very good job while D'Andre Swift was out with an injury. In two starts, Williams rushed 34 times for 164 yards and two touchdowns. He's earned a role even with Swift likely returning this week following the bye. Swift is still a bit limited, so Williams should still see a decent amount of carries, giving him enough value to warrant a flex consideration, especially against an average run defense in the Dallas Cowboys.
Week 5 at New England Patriots
Jamaal Williams took full advantage of his spot start with D'Andre Swift out last week, rushing for 108 yards and two touchdowns in Detroit's shootout loss to the Seahawks. He's looking like he'll start again this week, and he faces a Patriots rush defense ranked 31st in DVOA. As the lead back in a high-scoring offense, Williams remains a top-12 running back while Swift is out. He's worth another start this week.
Week 4 vs. Seattle Seahawks
With the likelihood of D'Andre Swift not playing this week, Jamaal Williams is a great play this week. Williams is a very good runner, he's just simply blocked by Swift from a fantasy perspective. Week 1 against the Eagles (144 yards and a touchdown) showed how effective Williams can be. Check on Swift's status Friday, but Williams is very much worth a start this week against a poor Seahawks defense.
Week 3 at Minnesota Vikings
Jamaal Williams saw another 12 carries against the Commanders, which seems to be what his role will be for the Lions. He took those 12 carries for 53 yards, so he's been running pretty well. But that's about the most he'll likely see as long as D'Andre Swift is still around. Touchdowns are volatile and that's what will give Williams value, so Williams is a borderline flex option and maybe closer to a handcuff to Swift for now.
Week 2 vs. Washington Commanders
Early on, it looks like Jamaal Williams will be the goal-line back for the Lions, as he saw three carries inside the 5 against the Eagles and scored twice. But that's where the bulk of Williams' scoring came from last week, as he only totaled 30 yards and caught one pass. In a deeper league, you can roll the dice on Williams scoring another touchdown this week. But as long as D'Andre Swift is around, Williams remains a touchdown-dependent deep option and you likely have other options being that it's only Week 2.
