Fantasy Football: Can Jameson Williams Finally Make the Leap?

Breakout players are a rewarding staple of fantasy football, but they aren't always easy to locate in the preseason.

Can Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions finally get over the hump this year?

The former No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has had a quiet two-year tenure with Detroit. Injuries and a suspension have limited him to just 18 out of 34 regular-season games in this span.

Utilizing FanDuel Research's fantasy football projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- as well as FantasyPros' consensus ADP data, let's explore Williams' outlook for this season and see if he could be in for a breakout campaign.

Jameson Williams Fantasy Football Outlook

Williams' 2023 Recap

Detroit's first-round draft pick appeared in only six games during his rookie season due to a torn ACL. Williams was later hit with a league suspension prior to last season, forcing him to sit out for the first four games of his sophomore campaign.

Through 12 games in 2023, Williams totaled 354 yards, 24 catches, and 2 touchdowns via 42 targets. He also ran in one score. These efforts were good for a WR81 finish.

He's seen just 51 targets in his NFL career and has yet to be a fantasy-relevant name. However, we have reason to believe this could all change in 2024.

Currently, Williams is being drafted as WR48 at pick 119. Will Year 3 be the one where Williams rewards his fantasy backers?

The Case for a Breakout Season

Williams spent his final collegiate season with the Alabama Crimson Tide. He led the SEC in receiving yards (1,572), receiving touchdowns (15), and yards per reception (19.9) in that year (2021).

He was one of four wideouts to be taken in the top 12 of the 2022 NFL Draft, the other names being Drake London, Garrett Wilson, and Chris Olave. Not including this year's rookie class, here are the other wideouts to be taken in the top 12 since 2021 -- Ja'Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith.

Williams sticks out like a sore thumb in this company, but we have to remember that an injury derailed his rookie season and a suspension shortchanged his second year. We've yet to see what he can do with a meaty role, and the Lions may, to some extent, hand him one this season.

For starters, Detroit let Josh Reynolds walk in free agency and didn't bring in any other receiver otherwise. Reynolds ranked third in yards, catches, targets, and touchdowns last season, behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta.

Kalif Raymond is still around, but Williams is stamped as Detroit's WR2 heading into the year.

A WR2 status in Jared Goff's offense sounds pretty exciting. The Lions were the fifth-highest scoring offense in 2023 and our Jim Sannes projects Detroit to score the third-most points in 2024.

The obvious catch here is as simple as listing out the names St. Brown, LaPorta, David Montgomery, and Jahmyr Gibbs -- four fantasy-scoring behemoths.

With St. Brown and LaPorta taking up two of the biggest roles in the NFL at their respective positions and Gibbs an ideal target in the passing game, it's hard to picture where Williams fits in. An injury to one of those core four could change everything, but that's a tricky road of assumption to go down.

If St. Brown (30.2% target share in 2023) and LaPorta (21.1%) were to get a small portion of their monstrous workload shaved off and gifted to Williams, that could pave a path for a breakout season. With Reynolds (11.2% target share in 2023) gone, Williams is stepping into a WR2 role in a firepower offense, so perhaps Goff could sustain a fifth fantasy-relevant player.

Jameson Williams Fantasy Football Projection

Our projections expect Williams to log 746 yards, 4.4 touchdowns, and 56 catches via 96 targets in 2024. These projections assume that all players will participate in a full 17-game season.

All in all, these projections expect Williams to finish as WR52 with 130.16 fantasy points. As mentioned, he currently is going as WR48 at pick 119 in drafts.

It's fair to look at all the cooks in the kitchen in Detroit and, in turn, decide to stay off Williams.

However, taking on risk is a natural step in seeking a breakout player for your fantasy team. If you think Goff can sustain a room full of fantasy-relevant players, or simply believe that the time is now for Williams to break through and his status as WR2 on a super high-scoring team is intriguing, then he should be on your radar as a breakthrough candidate.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.