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Detroit Lions running back Jamaal Williams led the league in rushing touchdowns this past season while surpassing 1,000 yards for the first time.
It was his best year by a good margin, but it was not entirely unexpected. In previous seasons, he had been a good waiver wire add or RB dead zone draft target. In 2021, for example, Williams had seven games with over 50 rushing yards, three games with over 20 receiving yards, and one game with 110 scrimmage yards.
Williams’ contract is set to expire, and free agency starts on March 15. Will Williams be leaving the Lions?
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What Did Jamaal Williams Do In 2022?
Williams only had nine carries in Week 1, but four of those were at the goalline, and Williams ended up with two touchdowns. That would set the tone for the season. Many times D’Andre Swift broke off a big run but got tripped up at the one-yard line, and then the Lions gave the rock to Williams to score.
Williams led the league with 53 red zone carries, and he converted 14 of them into touchdowns. His red zone scoring rate of 26.4% was also one of the highest in the league, higher than that of Austin Ekeler, Miles Sanders, Kenneth Walker III, Nick Chubb, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Christian McCaffrey, amongst others. In addition to his 14 red zone touchdowns, Williams also scored three touchdowns on runs of 20 yards or longer. He had six multi-touchdown games and two 100-yard rushing games.
Williams’ role changed with injuries to D’Andre Swift diminishing Swift’s role. While Williams was the receiving back in 2021, he was the lead back for most of 2022. He started nine games and had 15 or more carries in eleven games. At the same time, his work in the passing game almost disappeared. He did not have a single target in eight games.
Will Jamaal Williams Re-sign With the Lions?
Lions General Manager Brad Holmes says he and Williams are talking, and “There’s a mutual interest to hopefully get him back.”
Williams has previously said that he wants to return.
“I spent two years here doing great. Hmm, do I want to come back? Do I want to come back to more blessings? Hmm, let me think about that,” he joked.
What Is Jamaal Williams’ Fantasy Value Next Season?
Williams finished as the RB15 in PPR last season, and he had top RB weeks four times. If D’Andre Swift is healthy next season, it will be hard for Williams to replicate that performance.
Swift went into the season as the RB1 on the Lions' depth chart, even if he may really be RB1a. In Week 2, Swift tweaked his ankle, then he tried to play through it in Week 3, but he aggravated the injury and had to miss the next three weeks. He came back in Week 7 and didn’t miss any more games, but his workload was diminished.
Swift also missed games in 2020 and 2021, so Williams should still have a role with between 45-55% of the carries in the Lions’ ideal situation. But don’t expect Williams to take 70% of the workload, as he did last year.
Williams is currently being drafted as the RB39 in the early 2023 National Fantasy Championships drafts. That might be a little bit behind his true value. He was RB43 in 2021, and, given his success in 2022 and Swift’s fragility, he could get slightly more touches than in 2021. His touchdowns will almost certainly decline next season, but his receptions could increase.
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