Week 7 vs New York Giants
With Dez Bryant still out, Terrance Williams remains the No. 1 wide receiver option for Dallas. With only five catches over the last three games, however, Williams has not taken advantage of his new opportunity. There will be a new quarterback for the Cowboys this week in Matt Cassel, but that should not give you much hope unless Cassel favors Williams and we won't know that until after Sunday. For Week 7, Williams is a borderline flex and WR3 in deeper leagues. He should be not be expected to help your fantasy team against the Giants.
Week 5 vs New England
Terrance Williams had strange fantasy numbers last week. He had a team-high 10 targets, but that only produced three catches. One of them was a touchdown, but you have to wonder where Williams is with Brandon Weeden at quarterback. When Dez Bryant went down with an injury, Williams' stock rose, but he really hasn't done anything special as the Cowboys No. 1 receiver.
He has a great matchup against the Patriots, who are 27th in aFPA to wide receivers. However, based on recent games, you have to think Williams is going to struggle with Weeden behind center. Start Williams based on him being the No. 1, but only as a WR3 or flex.
Week 4 at New Orleans
How quickly some people fall. Last week, Terrance Williams was listed as an WR1. But zero catches will push down your value. Plus, the Cowboys can't be happy with QB Brandon Weeden's play, so that leaves some question marks for all of the receivers on the Cowboys roster.
Even with WR Dez Bryant still out, Williams' stock plummets because of last week. The matchup this week isn't the best either as the Saints are 8th in aFPA to wide receivers. Keep Williams on the bench until the Cowboys show some progress with Weeden. This definitely affects Williams' status.
Week 3 vs Falcons
Terrance Williams got his first shot at being the Cowboys No. 1 wide receiver with Dez Bryant out, but his numbers were not much different than Week 1. Yes, he was the leading receiver for the Cowboys and yes, he was in on 79 percent of the snaps. But it will be interesting to see if he can consistently put No. 1 type numbers.
Williams faces a Falcons pass defense that is average at best. He also will be playing with Brandon Weeden rather than Tony Romo as his QB, which is the most worrisome part of Week 3. Williams comes in as a low-end WR2, although he is a bit riskier than normal considering the quarterback situation in Dallas.
Week 2 vs Philadelphia
Terrance Williams now gets to be the No. 1 receiver in Dallas with Dez Bryant out for at least four weeks. He had five catches for 60 yards last week, which would probably be the norm as the No. 2. His real value last year was his end zone visits. He was a regular contributor to fantasy teams with 8 touchdowns.
Even though QB Tony Romo won't rely on Williams like he did with Bryant, it should increase Williams' numbers all around. If you had him on your roster, it's definitely a good break for you. Overall, he won't give you a top-10 fantasy presence like Bryant, but Williams is a solid WR2 for Week 2 and probably until Dez comes back.
Week 1 vs Giants
There are mixed assessments of Terrance Williams in the fantasy football world. Some think he is just a big-play guy who is only going to catch two or three balls a game. Others feel he is ready to break through and be more effective on a weekly basis. At this point, we want to see him to do it before we trust him. For Week 1 against New York, keep him on your bench and let's see how it works out for him.
Fantasy Upside
You would think with the way the Cowboys threw to Dez Bryant in the end zone last season, there wouldn't be anything left for other Dallas receivers. However, Terrance Williams had eight touchdowns in 2014 and will get his share of targets in 2015 opposite Dez. Overall, Williams has the talent and ability to beat the one-on-one coverage he'll see quite often this season.
Fantasy Downside
Despite the touchdowns, Williams was the worst starting receiver in the NFL in terms of number of receptions. He only caught 37 passes last season, the same amount as backup Cole Beasley. He needs to finish closer to 60 than 40 in order to provide fantasy value in standard leagues.
Bottom Line
Williams will get targets, but can he build upon his 2014 numbers? The Cowboys will throw more this year without DeMarco Murray pounding the football, so there is a chance Williams will see a target increase. The 25-year-old should not be one of your top 3 receivers, but he's worth drafting around the tenth round for a bench spot. There is no reason to reach any higher for him.
Week 19: Williams vs Packers
Terrnance Williams was a fantasy find the first half of the season and seems to have returned to form. Last week, he scored two touchdowns while the Lions were double teaming Dez Bryant. He has four touchdown catches over the past three weeks. That's where his value is as he only has eight catches over that span, but he has been getting his owners points.
It will be interesting to see if Green Bay employs the same strategy as Detroit. The Packers personnel is not as good on defense and they are 24th in aFPA to wide receivers. But since Williams is relying so much on touchdowns, it's hard to be confident he will get in the end zone despite the recent trend. Williams rates in the third tier of wide receivers playing in the Divisional round this weekend.
Week 18: Williams vs Lions
Terrance Williams caught three passes for 68 yards last Sunday which is pretty good considering the numbers he had been putting up. He didn't score any touchdowns like he had the previous week., but at least was somewhat involved in the offense.
Williams is still not a great fantasy option unless he gets in the end zone which hasn't happened much. We don't see much value this week against the Lions who are ranked 15th in aFPA to wide receivers.
Week 17: Williams vs Redskins
Just when we were ready to give up on Terrance Williams, he sneaks back into the picture. Yes, he only had two catches, but they were both for touchdowns. It was his first touchdown since Week 7 and don't forget he had seven touchdown catches in those first seven games.
Even coming off the big game and the good matchup against Washington(27th in aFPA to wide receivers), one game is not going to convince us this will happen again, especially on only two targets last week. Keep him on the bench for Week 17.
