We’re approaching the 2024 season. Every year, a few players seize on the right opportunity and surprise for fantasy players. The value comes from trying to predict who it will end up being this time of year and stashing them. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at some 2024 sleeper candidates at each of the key fantasy positions: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end. Hopefully, these are players you can acquire at a value that will propel you to fantasy glory.
Continuing through our look at potentially fantasy-relevant wide receivers, we come to a player who needs a restart on a team looking for weapons. That could make it the perfect pairing, especially if Aaron Rodgers is upright for more than four snaps. The New York Jets already have a WR1 in Garrett Wilson and an RB1 in Breece Hall. But what about the supporting cast? Mike Williams is a high-profile free agent, and he could well be the WR2 the Jets need to get back into the playoffs. Let’s take a look.
The Case for Mike Williams
It wasn’t a good 2023 for Williams, who lasted just three games and caught just 19 passes before going out for the season with an injury. That brought an end to his time with the Chargers, where he played for seven seasons after being taken with a First-Round pick in 2017. And, at times, Williams thrived for the Chargers. In 2021, he posted a career year with 76 receptions for 1,146 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished as WR12 that season. But mostly, he’s been a solid second option. In 2022, he saw 93 targets, catching 63 passes for 895 yards and four touchdowns.
This off-season, he signed with the Jets. While Wilson is the WR1 and figures to see more than 100 targets, Williams profiles as a strong WR2. It’s a position he’s used to playing after lining up opposite Keenan Allen during his time with the Chargers. And it’s a position that’s born fruit for those in Green Bay playing with Rodgers. In 2021, while Davante Adams saw 169 targets, Allen Lazard caught 40 passes for 513 yards and eight touchdowns as the WR2. He finished as WR47. In 2022, it was Christian Watson as the second option, catching 41 passes for 611 yards and seven touchdowns. That landed him as WR41.
While Wilson rightly gets the big focus and headlines, there’s plenty of value to be mined from being the second option for Aaron Rodgers.
The Case Against Mike Williams
But is Williams the number two guy for the Jets? That’s part of the question here. The Jets have that former WR2 from Green Bay, Allen Lazard, though he seemed to wash out for the team in 2023. They also have an interesting rookie in Malachi Corley and second-year man Xavier Gipson. All of those players could compete for targets for the Jets. That, combined with Williams coming off injury and being new to the squad—and to Rodgers—could keep him from being a clear second option in the passing game. If he lacks volume, it will be hard to produce.
The other question about Williams is health. He was limited to just three games in 2023, but that wasn’t the only time in his career he missed games. He only appeared in every game in a season twice in his seven years with the Chargers. In 2022, he missed four games. Last season, he missed 14 games. In a league where the best ability is often availability, Williams hasn’t always been the most reliable option.
The Bottom Line
The Williams signing went a bit under the radar. He’s faded some in Dynasty due to his missed time and inconsistency. Now, he’s on a one-year prove-it deal with the Jets. He’s one a new team, in a new offense, adjusting to a new quarterback. He sits with an ADP of WR57, which reflects the uncertainty. But Williams is the most talented of the Jets’ other receivers and capable of big plays. If Rodgers returns to form, we’ve seen him pay that off with WR2 passing game options in the past. I like Williams’ potential to return value for fantasy players in 2024.
Matthew Fox is a die-hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
