Jameson Williams delivered a breakout fantasy football season in 2024, finishing as the WR19 in half-PPR formats with 1,001 receiving yards and seven touchdowns — despite missing two games due to a suspension. His big-play ability and efficiency pushed him even higher in standard scoring (WR10) but slightly lower in full PPR (WR23).
With 91 targets last season, Williams firmly established himself in the Lions’ offense, and if he hadn’t missed those two games, he likely would’ve surpassed 100 targets. Heading into 2025, many fantasy managers are dreaming of a top-12 WR1 finish — but there are reasons for caution.
Dave Ventresca of RotoBaller recently flagged Williams as an overvalued player for 2025, pointing to changes in Detroit’s offense with John Morton now calling plays after Ben Johnson’s departure. While Williams was incredibly efficient last year, averaging over 17 yards per catch, a shift in his role could impact his numbers.
Looking closer at his 2024 stats reveals some shaky ground. Nearly half of his targets came in just five games, and his four 50-plus yard touchdowns — many fueled by massive yards after the catch — inflated his overall production. As Nic Bodiford of Pro Football Focus noted, Williams led all receivers in yards after the catch per reception among players targeted over the middle on deep passes, but sustaining that kind of efficiency is tough.
Right now, Williams is being drafted as the WR24 in Underdog best ball leagues and sits at WR27 in Fantasy Pros’ consensus rankings, placing him in the low-end WR2 to high-end WR3 range. As tempting as his upside is, managers need to weigh the boom-or-bust risk carefully in 2025.
