Is Savion Williams a fantasy sleeper in Week 8 if Matthew Golden sits?

After dropping a tight affair against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the Green Bay Packers are back in action tonight on Thursday Night Football with a battle against the Carolina Panthers at 8:15 p.m. ET.

However, they might be without one of their brightest stars, as Matthew Golden, their second-leading receiver, has been limited in practice with a shoulder injury and is officially listed as questionable for tonight’s game.

The Packers are relatively thin at wideout as is, since Jayden Reed suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 2, so Golden’s absence would prove a difficult task to overcome. In that scenario, Green Bay might give additional snaps to Savion Williams, who has become more involved in the offense over the last two weeks but remains rostered in just 1% of Yahoo Sports fantasy leagues.

Results and Usage

Williams didn’t play in the first five games of the season after suffering a high-ankle sprain in the preseason. However, he was activated before the Week 6 clash against the Dallas Cowboys and appeared in 53.3% of the team’s snaps, hauling in all four of his targets for 32 yards. Then, he was even more efficient in Week 7 against the Lions, catching all three of his targets for 47 yards, with both performances worth 8.1 DraftKings FPTS. That’s not exactly fantasy WR1 material, but the fact that he has caught all 17 of his career targets makes him a reliable option.

He hasn’t played enough snaps to qualify by Pro Football Focus’ standards, but PFF isn’t a fan of his tape. If he did qualify, he’d slot in in between No. 97 Brian Thomas Jr. and No. 98 Calvin Ridley among 118 qualified receivers. He hasn’t broken any tackles, and he’s only averaged 5.1 yards per reception after the catch, but as a possession receiver, he’s plenty solid. Jordan Love has posted a 113.7 passer rating when throwing to him, his second-highest mark when throwing to any Packers wideout.

Future Outlook

With or without Golden, Williams should still play somewhat of a role in the offense. He appeared in a majority of Green Bay’s offensive snaps in both of his games this season, even though Golden played in both contests. As a primary slot receiver with a big, athletic frame, he offers qualities that Golden and Christian Watson do not. Golden is a smaller, speedier option who has primarily lined up outside this season, and Watson operates as more of a deep threat.

The Packers have leaned on their passing game heavily this season, as they rank sixth in passing attempts and fifth in passing yards. In part, that’s because their running game has been horrific, ranking dead last in attempts, yards, and yards per attempt. That ground game could improve now that Josh Jacobs is back from a six-game stint on the Commissioner Exempt List, but there’s no guarantee that it will, given how much time Jacobs has spent away from the team. In his extremely limited sample size, Williams has been best on throws between 10 and 19 yards downfield, and Love has thrived on such looks. He has different strengths than Golden, so he might not be the most natural replacement, but he’s a good fit within Green Bay’s offense and could prove fantasy-viable regardless if he happens to find the end zone.

I don’t think Williams quite rises to the fantasy sleeper level against the Panthers, whether or not Golden plays. This season, Carolina has allowed the sixth-fewest DK FPTS per game to opposing wide receivers, including just three touchdowns. The Panthers have gotten pressure at among the highest rates, and while that might force Love to dump it down to a possession receiver like Williams instead of taking a shot for Watson, Love has been one of the worst qualified signal-callers when under duress this season. Williams has a comparatively doable matchup against slot corner Tre’von Moehrig, but Moehrig has allowed just a 65.2 passer rating on his targets this season.