After a frustrating loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, the Los Angeles Chargers look to rebound against the Tennessee Titans. While some of their weapons might not play at full capacity or at all (Austin Ekeler), the offense will look to other skill-position players for support, including veteran wideout Mike Williams.
Fantasy Football analysis: Chargers WR Mike Williams
Though Williams’ role has changed over his time in Los Angeles, his skill set remains mostly unchanged. He still has the ability to win contested catches and beat defenders deep without the help of traditional deep speed, traits that should help him as he adjusts to new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s vertically-minded system.
One week doesn’t provide a ton of useful information, but Williams didn’t seem heavily featured by the Chargers. He saw only five targets of which he caught four for 45 yards. Stranger still, his average depth of target came in at 8.4 yards; he has never finished a season below 12 in that metric. Again, one week can prove misleading, but Williams might need time to find his niche under Moore.
Start or sit in Week 2 PPR leagues?
Start. Though Williams only had four catches last week, he has a decent matchup against the Titans and could see his target volume increase. The veteran also can shift into the slot, creating more opportunities to take advantage of a defense that has some questions in the secondary. Start him as a low-end WR 2 or FLEX.
Start or sit in Week 2 standard leagues?
Start. Williams’ fantasy value takes a bit of a hit in standard leagues, but he still merits consideration as a starter. On top of the already mentioned factors, the Chargers have talked up his value in the red zone. That could realistically come to fruition this week.
Player(s) you would start ahead of Mike Williams
DKN NFL Editor Chet Gresham has a few options ranked slightly ahead of Williams this week, both veteran and rookie. Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Chris Godwin had a nice opening week and should continue to see more looks from quarterback Baker Mayfield. Meanwhile, first-round pick Zay Flowers also seems like a better bet if available to managers.