Should I Drop Javonte Williams? Fantasy Football Outlook for Week 11

Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams was considered a sleeper in 2024 NFL drafts by many, but he's disappointed massively. He's not returned to his 2021 level of play after suffering a massive knee injury early in 2022, and he logged just one carry in his Week 10 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Of course, it makes no sense to start a player who gets just one rush in a game, and it's clear that there could be a changing of the guard at RB for the Broncos. One carry amounts to effectively being benched, which isn't entirely surprising, given that he's averaged just under 3.8 yards per carry this season.

So, should you drop Williams? If so, who should you pick up off the waiver wire to replace him?

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Should I Drop Javonte Williams in Fantasy Football?

He's been absolutely dreadful to own in fantasy football this season, and aside from a fluke game against the awful New Orleans Saints run defense, he's hardly been startable. Many fantasy analysts insisted he needed more time to recover from his season-ending knee injury in 2022, but he tore multiple ligaments in his knee.

Not ready to quit Javonte Williams. He’s two years past the injury, and just turned 24. If his Underdog ADP stays in the triple-digits, my bags will be packed this year. pic.twitter.com/C5Fbrre2R5

— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) May 8, 2024

He shredded his knee in 2022, tearing his ACL, LCL, and posterolateral corner. It's extremely important to note that not all knee injuries are created equal, and there's reason for serious concern about a player who suffers multi-ligament knee injuries. More often than not, they never return to their previous production.

We've seen plenty of players return from ACL tears and perform very well over one season removed from their injury, but more often than not, they suffered "clean" ACL tears, where no damage to other portions of their knee was sustained. There should be much less concern about those players.

Williams looks just like his 2023 self -- he possesses nothing resembling the explosiveness and elusiveness he showed in his rookie campaign in 2021. He can be safely dropped.

Who Should I Pickup in Week 10 Fantasy Football?

It appears as if the Denver Broncos backfield will be taken over by rookie back Audric Estime. Jaleel McLaughlin, the current second-string RB on the roster, hasn't lived up to his preseason hype, and though he's looked explosive at times, he's been inefficient, logging just four yards per carry on the season.

We’re seeing a changing of the guard in the Broncos’ backfield 👀

Audric Estime earned…
🔸 2 of the 3 Red Zone carries
🔹 82% of the RB carry share
🔸 64% of the designed runs (2nd-highest rate by a DEN RB this year)

Denver’s RB1 📈📈📈#BroncosCountrypic.twitter.com/4St3U378wX

— FANTASY UMPIRE (@FantasyUmpire) November 11, 2024

Yours truly wrote an article recommending that Estime be picked up in at least deeper leagues before Week 10. The opportunity was there, but he had a costly fumble that caused him to effectively be benched. It now appears that head coach Sean Payton isn't willing to trot out Williams and McLaughlin as the lead backs any more.

Those of us who believed Williams was cooked saw this move coming—it was just a matter of time. In the future, make sure to treat talk of a player returning from a devastating, compound knee injury to his previous level of play with great skepticism.

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