Jamaal Williams Fantasy Outlook: Is Saints RB worth drafting in 2023?

Jamaal Williams has successfully found a way to post relevant fantasy football production in every season of his NFL career so far. He has done so with multiple teams and always as a part of a committee of running backs.

His proven history gives him an optimistic fantasy outlook ahead of the 2023 NFL season, playing for a new team again and in another committee.

While he's been productive every year, he posted his fantasy football season ever last year by a significant margin. He will be looking to build off of his success and take another step forward this year.

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Jamaal Williams' 2023 Fantasy Outlook

Jamaal Williams

Jamaal Williams set new career highs in many rushing categories during his breakout season last year. This includes his 262 carries for 1,066 yards and a massive 17 touchdowns. He led all NFL players in rushing touchdowns last season on his way finishing among the top 12 running backs in total fantasy football points. This made him an RB1 on many fantasy rosters.

Making Williams' fantasy output even more impressive is that he provided little production as a receiver. This is uncharacteristic of his general skillset. In four years with the Green Bay Packers prior to his two seasons with the Detroit Lions, he recorded at least 25 receptions and 200 receiving yards every year, while also totaling eight receiving touchdowns.

Now with the New Orleans Saints for the 2023 NFL season, he's expected to increase his receiving totals once again. The Saints are known for throwing many passes to their running backs, especially to Alvin Kamara. This strengthens Williams' 2023 fantasy outlook as his new system seems to fit his skillset.

Adding more receiving output this year could potentially make up for his likely touchdown regression as compared to last season. It will theoretically give him a safer weekly floor, while also raising his ceiling.

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Is Jamaal Williams a good pick in Fantasy Football this year?

Jamaal Williams

Jamaal Williams made the most of his opportunity with the Detroit Lions during the 2022 NFL season. He was initially expected to take a back seat to D'Andre Swift, but injuries created an expanded role for Williams. He turned that into his first 1,000-yard rushing season while leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns and finishing among the top 12 fantasy football running backs.

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The New Orleans Saints create a similar opportunity for Williams to see a more expanded role than originally expected, especially during the first three weeks of the 2023 NFL season.

Alvin Kamarar is officially suspended for the first three games, opening up a ton of touches in their backfield. Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller are expected to share the workload.

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Splitting touches has never really been an issue for Williams as he's rarely been primarily featured in any of his offenses. Even in the games that Swift did play for the Lions last year, Williams was still a productive contributor in fantasy football. Add in the fact that Miller is a rookie and Williams could be in line for a large workload in the first three games for the Saints.

If he seizes his opportunity once again, he could earn himself a larger role, even when Kamara returns.

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Where should you draft Jamaal Williams this year?

Jamaal Williams

Jamaal Williams currently ranks as the RB34 and 97th overall player in upcoming 2023 fantasy football drafts, according to his recent ADP. This means he is most often being utilized as an RB3 on many fantasy rosters. He is currently being selected around the ninth round in most fantasy drafts this year, depending on the league format and scoring settings.

Williams is currently being drafted around the same time as other running backs in similar situations like Khalil Herbert and Antonio Gibson. Each of them also enters the 2023 NFL season with an unclear role in terms of how their backfield will distribute their usage.

Where Williams holds an advantage is his proven history of being productive in a committee, as well as his implied expanded opportunity in the first three games of the season.

The Saints running back is most valuable as a depth running back on fantasy football rosters with plenty of upside to outperform his current ADP. He also makes for a strong target for zero-RB strategy drafters.

While it's unlikely that he will finish the 2023 season as an RB1 on many fantasy rosters like he did last year, he surely has a ceiling that's higher than his implied RB3 projection this year.