Week 1 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Jamaal Williams is second on the depth chart in Detroit, but he still averaged 13.8 touches in his 13 active games last season. With the Lions expected to improve offensively, there should be more room for Williams and starter D'Andre Swift to operate. Still, Williams begins the season in a timeshare. He also faces an Eagles defense that was middle-of-the-road against the run last year, but added talent at all three levels. Mammoth rookie DT Jordan Davis out of Georgia and rangy free agent linebacker Kyzir White have the potential to make this an excellent run-stuffing unit. Keep Williams on the bench in all formats for Week 1.
2022 Fantasy Upside
Even with D’Andre Swift at the top of the depth chart, Jamaal Williams still, for the most part, saw 10-15 carries a game and had seven games with at least 50 rushing yards. 600 yards for a backup running back is not too shabby at all, giving Williams some deep flex appeal.
2022 Fantasy Downside
Williams missed a couple games in 2021. Swift is back healthy and the Lions also still like Craig Reynolds as their RB3, so Williams' ceiling is capped with limited volume.
2022 Bottom Line
If you’re in a pinch for a running back, you could do a lot worse than Williams, who could still get some early-down work in Detroit, but his PPR upside is limited unless Swift gets injured. He’s a deep flex option with Swift around, but has some potential if Swift misses time.
Week 16 at Falcons
Jamaal Williams would likely split duties with Craig Reynolds if he's able to return to the lineup this week. Williams would probably take over the passing game role, but Reynolds would likely remain in the picture because of how well he's played in the last two games. It's too risky to count on Williams in this spot.
Week 14 at Broncos
Jamaal Williams looks set for another start with D'Andre Swift continuing to nurse his shoulder injury. Williams rushed for 71 yards on 17 carries against the Vikings last week, but he only was targeted once. The lack of passing game usage definitely limits Williams' upside, but we still need to consider him as a volume-based RB2.
Williams takes on a Broncos defense that ranks 25th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game allowed to running backs, so this matchup isn't as daunting as you might expect from a defense flush with talent like Denver. The problem here is that there's low touchdown upside with the Lions coming into this game with one of the lowest implied team totals on the slate. I wouldn't get too excited about Williams here.
Week 13 vs. Vikings
Jamaal Williams takes over as the lead back with D'Andre Swift on the shelf with a shoulder injury. The veteran dominated the workload when Swift went out early last week, rushing 15 times for 65 yards while catching all five of his targets for 18 yards. We can expect similar usage against the Vikings this week, as the Lions have been run-heavy since Dan Campbell took over as play-caller in Week 10.
Williams goes up against a Vikings defense that ranks 25th in Schedule-Adjusted Fantasy Points per Game, so this is a terrific matchup. Even if the Lions get behind multiple scores, we can expect Williams to rack up a few check-down targets from Jared Goff. Williams looks like a plug-and-play RB2 with upside in this spot.
Week 12 vs. Bears
Jamaal Williams only played 27% of the snaps with seven carries for 11 yards in his return last week, but the Lions' shift to a run-heavy offense gives Williams some FLEX appeal in deeper formats, especially since Detroit should be able to keep this game close. There's even a chance that the Lions play with the lead here, which would be good for Williams.
Week 8 vs. Eagles
Jamaal Williams has become a total zero in the passing game, combining for three targets in his last four games after racking up 14 in his first three. However, the veteran back still has some standalone value as the inside runner in this offense. Williams rushed 12 times for 57 yards against the Rams last week.
This matchup against the Eagles sets up nicely for Williams because of how they've been gashed on the ground. Philadelphia has given up big games to Leonard Fournette, Chuba Hubbard, and Ezekiel Elliott this season. We could see Williams put up efficient production in this spot, especially if the Lions play with the lead, which is absolutely possible against this struggling Eagles team.
Week 6 vs. Bengals
Williams simply isn't going away, as he's maintained a prominent role in this Lions offense. The veteran back has played on 36.47% of the snaps with 11 red-zone carries (tied with D'Andre Swift) and 16 targets. The problem is that Williams needs the Lions' offense to perform at a higher level to provide fantasy value, as he depends on red-zone attempts and rushing efficiency since Swift has dominated passing game usage.
The Lions are 3-point home underdogs in this game, so the Lions project to be competitive here, which bodes well for Williams' outlook. The veteran back can be considered on the FLEX radar because of his usage in the red zone. We've also seen some efficiency, as he's averaged 4.4 yards per carry.
Week 5 at Vikings
Williams rushed 14 times for 66 yards, but he was significantly out-snapped and out-targeted by D'Andre Swift. It wouldn't be surprising for Williams' role to slowly decrease as the season progresses. Having said that, he's still averaging 13.25 touches per game, so he has a prominent role in this offense.
That bodes well in an exploitable matchup against the Vikings. It will be better for Williams if the Lions play with a lead in this game, as the pass-catching work has been funneled towards Swift, so if the Lions play from behind, it's worse for Williams. We can consider Williams a decent FLEX in this spot.
Week 4 at Bears
Williams has carved out a role and provided fantasy value as the RB2 in Detroit, ranking as RB14 in half-PPR formats. Williams is playing 40% of the snaps while posting an 11.76% target share, which is impressive for a running back. While the Lions will likely start to give a bit more work to Swift, Williams should be able to maintain standalone value as an upside FLEX who would become a high-end RB2 if Swift were forced to miss time.
Williams has a tough matchup against the Bears, but like Swift, his receiving volume should help make up for any challenges on the ground. Williams is much less explosive and elusive than Swift, so we could see him struggle more with inefficiency in this spot. Still, he's playing too well to not consider as a FLEX. The targets are so valuable and really raise his weekly floor.
