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Wide receiver Mike Williams appeared to have unlimited potential after his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With 964 receiving yards and 11 touchdown receptions in his first year, it seemed that Tampa Bay had found a reliable receiver who could compete against the tough NFC South. Unfortunately for Williams and the Buccaneers, the young receiver became known more for his personal issues than his playmaking ability. Now that he has a second chance with the Buffalo Bills, fantasy football players want to know if he is worth drafting in August.
Positives:
Williams has proved that he does have the talent to be a top receiver. At 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, he has a nice combination of speed and physicality that helps him find the end zone. In the three full seasons he played with Tampa Bay, the 27-year-old receiver totaled 2,731 receiving yards and caught 23 touchdown passes. Starting quarterback E.J. Manuel didn’t have much time to build a rapport with his receivers last season, so Williams could easily become a favorite target of his new field general.
Negatives:
Reports have stated that Williams has not looked impressive at training camp and that he might not have much time left on the Bills. The organization is very high on 22-year-old Robert Woods, and first-round pick Sammy Watkins will become the focal point of the aerial attack. The Bills also ranked second in rushing yards in 2013, and with the addition of Bryce Brown, Buffalo will still rely heavily on the rushing attack of Fred Jackson, C.J. Spiller and Brown.
Final Verdict: With an unproven quarterback on a run-heavy team, Williams’ chances of fantasy relevancy look bleak. When you add his reportedly poor performance in OTAs, it seems unlikely that he would ever be able to make an impact on your fantasy roster. With the odds stacked so highly against him, Williams should be left on the draft board.
Bye Week: 9
Projected Round: 17
Auction Value: $1
Jack Delaney is a fantasy football writer for www.Rantsports.com. You can follow him on Twitter @jackbmore13, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
