Week 8 at Denver
It was a tough matchup in Week 7 against the Falcons, but Tyrell Williams caught seven balls for 140 yards on 10 targets. It was his highest yardage total and target total this season.
This week, it's a tough matchup against the Broncos, who are first in allowing fantasy points to WRs and QBs. Williams, who we have ranked ahead of Travis Benjamin, is just 38th on our WR list this week so he's a low-end WR3 option at best. Two weeks ago, he had just three catches for 28 yards against the Broncos on just three targets. Williams probably isn't all that safe of a play this week considering what the Broncos can do to passing games.
Week 7 at Atlanta
Tyrell Williams caught just three balls last week for 28 yards. It was a tough go for the San Diego passing game, which was held in check by the Broncos (who came in ranked first in terms of allowing fantasy points to WRs).
This week isn't much better, as the Falcons are 8th in allowing fantasy points to WRs, and Williams comes in just 35th on our list this week. That makes him just a low-end WR3 play. Last week, the Falcons didn't allowing a passing TD and held Russell Wilson to just 270 yards in the air, so start Williams with caution this week.
Week 6 vs. Denver
Tyrell Williams had five catches for 117 yards and a TD last week on six targets. The 117 yards is a season-high.
This week, however, Williams has a tough matchup on a short week, with the Broncos coming to town on Thursday night. Denver is the top team in allowing fantasy points to WRs, so Williams' fantasy value takes a hit this week (and we have him coming in as a lower-end WR3 play). One thing to keep in mind is in Week 17 last year, Williams did have two catches for 90 yards and a TD against the Broncos in what was a meaningless game. Still, on a short week and in a tough matchup, fantasy owners may want to consider other options.
Week 5 at Oakland
Tyrell Williams continues to see targets for the Chargers, but last week was his lowest fantasy output to date. He caught five balls for 40 yards and was targeted eight times. He's averaged seven targets per game on the season, and eight per game over the three weeks without Keenan Allen.
This week Williams gets a nice matchup against the Raiders, who are 30th in allowing fantasy points to WRs. Williams actually played on over 95 percent of the snaps in Week 3, his most to date. The Chargers like having him on the field for his big-play ability, so we're likely going to see a big fantasy day soon. While Williams is usually more in the WR3 range, he should be a good upside play in Week 5.
Week 4 vs. New Orleans
Tyrell Williams continues to put up pretty solid fantasy numbers. Last week he caught six balls for 69 yards on nine targets. He was targeted more than Travis Benjamin, the team's assumed WR1.
Williams is averaging 67 yards a game this year on over six targets a game, so he's getting the work. He played in 85-percent of the snaps last week (his most yet this season), but is still averaging about 73-percent. This week, Williams gets a low-end WR2 ranking, coming in 25th on our list. He gets a pretty friendly home matchup against the Saints in Week 4. Because of his speed and big-play ability, he's always a threat to put up big fantasy numbers, but so far overall this season he's showing consistency.
Week 3 at Indianapolis
Tyrell Williams caught three balls for 61 yards and a TD last week. It was a pretty impressive performance stepping in for Keenan Allen. Those who picked up Williams are hoping this is at least the norm going forward. Williams is said to be more of a big-play threat and thus far has averaged over 26 yards per catch his first two weeks.
Williams may not collect a lot of catches game-to-game, but one big play could make an owner's week. This week, Williams is ranked just 48th on our WR list in PPR formats, but the matchup is a good one against the Colts, who are 23rd in allowing fantasy points per game to WRs. Williams is certainly worth a play in deeper leagues, but for now, should still be considered a boom or bust play.
Week 2 vs. Jacksonville
Tyrell Williams caught two passes for 71 yards last week. He actually played on over 60 percent of the snaps. With Keenan Allen now lost for the season, Williams looks poised for a bigger role this year, and has become a popular wire pickup as a result.
Williams got a lot of positive press for a good camp this year, so something to keep in mind is he was going to have a role in the offense even with Allen still healthy, as there was even talk of Allen playing in the slot at times. Williams is unproven and may need some time to get adjusted to a bigger role, but he's considered a deep threat. It's not a great matchup this week as the Jags are 10th in allowing fantasy points to WRs. As a result, Williams is just 48th on our WR list for Week 2. After this week he has two very nice matchups against the Colts and Saints but then gets four tough weeks in a row. Williams is worth grabbing but is a risky play without seeing more of him.
Fantasy Upside
As the team's official website noted, even though he made a mark in the season finale, Tyrell Williams' rookie year wasn’t always smooth sailing as he bounced between the active roster and practice squad. For the most part, his playing time was limited to special teams, but in the Bolts 2015 regular-season finale at Denver, Williams was called upon to play wide receiver and he caught his first NFL pass for an 80-yard touchdown on Jan. 3 at Sports Authority Field. It tied for the 11th-longest catch in franchise history and it was the longest first catch by a player in franchise history. It was also the longest first catch by any player in the NFL since 2008. Williams also flashed in exhibition play last summer when he led all wide receivers in the preseason with 10 catches for 137 yards, including a 63-yard TD strike against the 49ers.
Fantasy Downside
With less than a full season of experience, Williams remains an unknown commodity. There is bust potential.
2016 Bottom Line
On a team that just lost Stevie Johnson to season-ending knee surgery, leaving James Jones and Dontrelle Inman as Williams' primary competition for playing, he's worth watching. In fact, SDUT's Michael Gehlken reports that Williams has made a sizable leap in his second season. The former undrafted rookie from Oregon is considered one of the most improved Chargers from 2015, better route-running among his strides. His special teams contributions assure him a spot on the roster. But whether he emerges as anything more than a DFS flyer remains to be seen. At this point, he shouldn't be on the redraft radar in all but the deepest leagues.
