Jameson Williams

Jameson Williams

24-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR
Detroit Lions
2025 Fantasy Outlook
After entering the NFL in 2022 with a torn ACL and then missing a chunk of 2023 due to a gambling suspension, Williams finally broke through in his third professional season, topping 1,000 receiving yards while scoring eight TDs in 15 regular-season games. His 91 targets were second most on the Lions, albeit a distant second to Amon-Ra St. Brown's 141, with Williams taking on a sizable portion of the passes that had gone to TE Sam LaPorta the previous year. Known for his blazing speed above all else, Williams scored four TDs of 50-plus yards, plus a fifth in the postseason, although he wasn't used purely as a deep threat, with his aDOT dropping from 15.7 in 2023 to 11.3 in 2024. In fact, only 15.9 percent of his targets came 20-plus yards downfield (5-of-14 for 243 yards and three TDs), and he actually did far more damage in the 10-19 yard range (19-of-32 for 430 yards and four TDs). Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson put Williams' speed to good use in a variety of ways, including 11 carries and 12 targets behind the line of scrimmage. New coordinator John Morton has a lot of mouths to feed and will have a hard time matching Johnson's brilliance, but it would seem Williams' excellent showing in 2024 locks him in for at least a handful of targets per game in his age-24 season ahead. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a four-year, $17.46 million contract with the Lions in May of 2022.
Should get fifth-year option
WRDetroit Lions
March 31, 2025
The Lions likely will exercise their fifth-year option on Williams this spring, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
ANALYSIS
The Lions have until May 1 to exercise an option that would guarantee Williams a salary around $15.49 million for 2026. That's well below market rate for a quality No. 2 receiver -- something Williams became in 2024 with a 58-1,001-7 line on 91 targets in 15 regular-season games. While unlikely to average more than 6-to-7 targets per game in an offense loaded with other talented playmakers, Williams should have a similar role this upcoming season under new play caller John Morton, who previously worked for the Lions in 2022 and then served as Denver's pass-game coordinator the past two years. Lions GM Brad Holmes said he'll likely pick up Williams' fifth-year option, but Holmes didn't mention a contract extension the way he did when discussing fellow 2022 first-round pick Aidan Hutchinson.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Jameson Williams' 2024 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
68.5
 
Air Yards Per Snap
1.28
 
% Team Air Yards
29.9%
 
% Team Targets
17.3%
 
Avg Depth of Target
11.3 Yds
 
Catch Rate
63.7%
 
Drop Rate
2.2%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
7.9
 
% Targeted On Route
20.1%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
2.21
 
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2024
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2022
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2023 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Detroit LionsLions 2024 WR Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

104788%
86373%
65255%
23420%
877%
161%
81%
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Jameson Williams lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2024 Jameson Williams Split Stats
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
2022
Wide receivers these days almost always break out within their first two seasons or not at all, but Nico Collins proved in 2023 that the third-year breakout isn't totally dead. Williams also has better excuses than most, having suffered an ACL tear at the very end of his college career and then missing the first six games of 2023 for a gambling suspension (ok, maybe that second part isn't such a good excuse...). The other good news? He's still only 23, his elite speed is evident to the naked eye, he'll be playing in a top offense, and the Lions don't have anyone else suited to the WR2 role. Of course, they don't necessarily need the WR2 to be a volume guy given their numerous other weapons, nor have they shown any signs of being the type of team that would force a player targets just because he was a 12th overall pick. Williams will need to earn everything he gets, just as he did as a 20-year-old at Alabama in 2021 (79-1,572-15) following two seasons of obscurity at Ohio State behind Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, there is an outcome where Williams takes a big step forward in 2024 from a real-life standpoint but still doesn't see enough targets to be a reliable fantasy starter, as he'll still be in an offense that wants to feed WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, TE Sam LaPorta and RBs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. While a truly elite player could force his way into that picture, Williams appears more on track to land somewhere between 'star' and 'bust'.
Returning from an ACL tear at the end of his Alabama career, Williams was held out for the first 11 games of 2022, taking only 78 offensive snaps in six appearances. His one catch on nine targets went for a 41-yard touchdown, at least, and he had another distance TD wiped out by a penalty. There's not much to work with from his rookie season, so it's probably best to view Williams as a rookie again this year. However, the 22-year-old's 2023 season debut will be delayed after he was suspended for the first six games of the season for violating the league's gambling policy. Once Williams -- who went 12th overall last year, right behind Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson -- is eligible to play again, he could potentially see a high volume of perimeter snaps in Detroit's offense following the offseason departure of DJ Chark. In terms of pure speed, Williams is in the same league as former college teammate Jaylen Waddle, though with a slightly narrower build (6-1, 180) and only one season of big-time college production (79-1,572-15 in 2021).
Williams might've been the first WR selected in the 2022 Draft if not for his ACL tear in the national title game last season. It was a disappointing end to a phenomenal year, with Williams averaging 104.8 yards and a TD per game in his lone season at Alabama after transferring from OSU. The Lions took him 12th overall, despite the knee injury and his lack of production at OSU pre-transfer. Naturally, two of the guys who played ahead of Williams at OSU were drafted right ahead of him - Chris Olave (Saints) and Garrett Wilson (Jets). None has an ideal situation for rookie-year production, but it'll be especially difficult for Williams given the timing of his injury. It's possible he's eased into action once he returns from his stint (at least four games) on the NFL list and he may fall behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and DJ Chark when it comes to building chemistry with QB Jared Goff. On the other hand, Williams is blazing fast, young for his draft class and coming off a dominant campaign in the SEC, making it unwise to bet against him long term.
More Fantasy News
Mixed bag versus Washington
WRDetroit Lions
January 19, 2025
Williams caught one of four targets for 19 yards, while also adding a 61-yard rushing touchdown and thrown an interception on his only pass attempt in Saturday's 45-31 NFC divisional-round playoff loss to the Commanders.
ANALYSIS
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Reaches 1,000-yard threshold
WRDetroit Lions
January 5, 2025
Williams caught six of eight targets for 34 yards in Sunday's 31-9 win over the Vikings.
ANALYSIS
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Two TDs in win
WRDetroit Lions
December 30, 2024
Williams brought in five of eight targets for 77 yards and a touchdown in the Lions' 40-34 win over the 49ers on Monday night. He also netted minus-2 yards on two carries but scored a rushing touchdown.
ANALYSIS
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Career-high 143 rec yards in win
WRDetroit Lions
December 22, 2024
Williams caught five of seven targets for 143 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-17 win over the Bears. He also rushed once for seven yards.
ANALYSIS
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Finds end zone in loss
WRDetroit Lions
December 15, 2024
Williams caught three of five targets for 37 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 48-42 loss to the Bills.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Likely to have option picked up
WRDetroit Lions
March 31, 2025
Williams is expected to have the fifth-year option on his rookie contract picked up by the Lions, Eric Woodyard of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
The wideout endured a tough couple years to begin his NFL career after being selected 12th overall in the 2022 Draft, but Williams broke out last season to the tune of 58 catches for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns over 15 regular-season games. "Look, it's heading that way that we are most likely going to be doing that," Detroit general manager Brad Holmes said Monday. "He was a tremendous player for us last year. He's still scratching the surface. I do think he's got more in him as well, so I just think it just makes sense for us to do what we can to keep him around."
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