Veteran RB Jamaal Williams led the league with 17 rushing touchdowns last season with the Detroit Lions. He joined the New Orleans Saints for the 2023 season, and his role could change based on that move. We’ll break down what to expect from Williams in 2023 below.
2023 Fantasy Football: Jamaal Williams Profile
Recap of 2022 season
Williams served as Detroit’s goal-line back, leading the league with 17 rushing touchdowns and 41 carries inside the 10-yard-line. Those scores carried his fantasy productivity, as Williams averaged only 4.1 yards per carry on the season.
Updated Saints outlook
The Saints are slightly favored to win the NFC South while holding +120 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Williams could see some competition from Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill around the goal line. However, Kamara could be facing a suspension this season, which would open the door for Williams to carry more usage.
Best-case scenario
Kamara is unavailable and Williams is asked to spearhead the Saints’ rushing attack, which includes three-down usage and touches near the goal line. Even if Kamara is able to come back, Williams should continue to get early down and goal-line work, giving him nice sleeper value in fantasy football.
Worst-case scenario
Kamara returns to the fold and is highly efficient. Hill is still involved around the goal line, and Williams becomes the odd man out in New Orleans. The Saints also could just choose to use all three enough to diminish the value for all three to nothing more than a FLEX option in good matchups.
Prediction
Most of this depends on Kamara’s status. However, Williams should have a sizable role for New Orleans either way. There’s touchdown regression in his profile, but Williams has plenty of fantasy upside if Kamara is sidelined for a significant amount of time.