Luke Willson News

Luke Willson

29-Year-Old Tight EndTE

Oakland Raiders

2018 Receiving Stats

REC

YDS

AVG

6.7

TAR

2019 Receiving Projections

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YDS

AVG

TAR

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2019 Fantasy Outlook

A disappointing one-year effort for Willson in Detroit included just 13 catches on 19 targets for 87 yards in 14 games, which came on the heels of a more respectable five-year stint with the Seahawks. While Willson now joins Darren Waller, Derek Carrier and rookie Foster Moreau at tight end in Oakland, the Raiders appear to be deploying a committee approach as they attempt to replace Jared Cook's volume. Willson's experience alone could give him the edge in a race to become the Week 1 starter, but Waller and Moreau each have enough athleticism to push for playing time early and often. Read Past Outlooks

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Bye Week 6

Height 6'5"

Weight 251

DOB 1/15/1990

College Rice

Drafted 5th Rd 2013 #158 Overall

Impressing as pass catcher

TEOakland Raiders

June 6, 2019

Willson has impressed as a receiver in spring workouts, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

ANALYSIS
With Jared Cook now in New Orleans, the Raiders have a void to fill at tight end. While Darren Waller has received the majority of offseason hype among Oakland tight ends, Willson can't be forgotten about in advance of the 2019 season. After all, Willson may have a higher chance of being an every-down player given his advanced blocking skills. His odds in that regard will only rise if Willson continues to establish himself as a worthwhile option in the passing game.

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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 Luke Willson's 2018 advanced stats compare to other tight ends?

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

4.4

Air Yards Per Snap

0.14

% Team Air Yards

1.6%

% Team Targets

3.4%

Avg Depth of Target

3.2 Yds

Catch Rate

68.4%

Drop Rate

10.5%

Avg Yds After Catch

4.8

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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart

Raiders 2018 TE Snap Distribution See more data like this

J.Jared Cook

L.Lee Smith

D.Derek Carrier

D.Darren Waller

% of Team Snaps

768

284

233

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#4 TE

Raiders

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How often does Luke Willson run a route when on the field for a pass play?

This data will let you see how Luke Willson and the other tight ends for the Raiders are being used. Some tight ends may have a lot of snaps, but they're not that useful for fantasy purposes because they're not actually running routes. This data will help you see when this is the case.

Luke Willson

194 routes 19 targets

← More Blocking

% Routes Run

More Receiving →

84%

Darren Waller

30 routes 6 targets

Derek Carrier

92 routes 11 targets

Receiving Alignment Breakdown

See where Luke Willson lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.

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2018 Luke Willson Split Stats

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Measurables Review View College Player Page

How do Luke Willson's measurables compare to other tight ends?

This section compares his draft workout metrics 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.

* All metrics are from his Pro Day (not the combine).

Height

6' 5"

Weight

251 lbs

40-Yard Dash

4.51 sec

Shuttle Time

4.29 sec

Cone Drill

7.08 sec

Vertical Jump

38.0 in

Broad Jump

122 in

Bench Press

23 reps

Hand Length

9.38 in

Arm Length

32.25 in

Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Luke Willson

Best Ball Journal: Taking Inventory

4 days ago

The author looks at his share percentages for various players in DRAFT's best ball tournament, where he's happy to have plenty of Nick Chubb but wishes he had more of the Cleveland passing game.

NFL Waiver Wire: Almost Week 1 Edition

6 days ago

Kevin Payne looks at under-the-radar players who could make an impact this season, including the Colts' Jacoby Brissett as long as Andrew Luck is out.

DFS Football: Saturday Preseason Week 1 Picks

15 days ago

Jim Coventry analyzes the Saturday DFS slate as Cincinnati's Jeff Driskel could get a lot of snaps as he's playing for his job.

2019 Detroit Lions

34 days ago

Logan Larson looks at the Lions as they prepare for Year 2 under the guidance of coach Matt Patricia.

Job Battles: Wideouts and Tight Ends

51 days ago

D.J. Moore is one of the most hyped wide receivers heading into 2019, but there's a good chance that Curtis Samuel posts the bigger numbers this year.

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

The Eric Ebron Scissorhands Tour has moved on to Indianapolis, so Detroit fans can look forward to Willson getting a shot this fall. Willson's claim to fame to this point is having two Ls in his last name, and not being the brother of Frat Pack funnyman Owen Wilson. The Seahawks liked to use the occasional element of surprise with Willson, funneling 11 touchdowns to him on a modest 89 catches. Of course, it took five years to get to that point, so let's not get drunk on upside dreams. Willson's best yardage season was 362; his best touchdown count was last year's four. If he exceeds those numbers, the Lions will be doing cartwheels down Woodward Avenue.

Willson will continue as second-fiddle to Jimmy Graham after the tight end signed a one-year extension with the Seahawks in March. Last season, Willson managed 15 receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games. While he doesn't receive a ton of offensive reps, he could be flung into the starting lineup at any moment given Jimmy Graham's injury-prone history with the team.

With the addition of Jimmy Graham, Willson saw his numbers fall across the board in 2015. However, Seattle’s high-profile tight end acquisition in 2016, the selection of Nick Vannett in the third round, likely won’t have the same effect, as Vannett projects as more of a blocking specialist. The thing is, Graham’s 2015 stat line likely represents his own statistical floor, leaving Willson without much room for improvement in 2016. Barring a setback in Graham’s return from a patellar injury, Willson will likely play second fiddle to Graham in the passing game and will only be worth consideration in the deepest of fantasy leagues.

Willson, who has sufficient speed to beat linebackers up the seam, showed enough upside last year to warrant a bigger role in the passing game, finishing the campaign with 22 catches for 362 yards and three touchdowns. However, his fantasy value took a hit when the team traded for Jimmy Graham in March. An expanded role now looks unlikely unless Graham goes down. He'll be used in two-TE sets and can split wide as well, but how many opportunities he gets remains to be seen.

Willson had a decent rookie season, showing he likely could be a steady target in the passing game if he had the opportunity. He probably won't get that opportunity with the Seahawks, though. Zach Miller is the starter, and the team doesn't throw to its tight ends much anyway (Miller's team-leading 56 targets ranked 26th among tight ends). But Anthony McCoy, who missed all last season with an injury, suffered another season-ending injury early in camp, eliminating any competition Willson had for the backup job. Improved blocking will help Willson get on the field more, but even then his receiving numbers won't climb much.

More Fantasy News

Inks deal with Raiders

TEOakland Raiders

Concussion

March 29, 2019

Willson (concussion) signed a one-year contract with the Raiders on Friday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM Radio reports.

ANALYSIS
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Disappointing in Detroit

TEDetroit Lions

Concussion

January 11, 2019

Willson (concussion) caught 13 passes for 87 yards and no touchdowns over 14 games for the Lions in 2018.

ANALYSIS
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Unavailable for season finale

TEDetroit Lions

Concussion

December 28, 2018

Willson (concussion) is ruled out for Sunday's game against the Packers, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

ANALYSIS
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No practice Wednesday

TEDetroit Lions

Concussion

December 26, 2018

Willson (concussion) did not participate in Wednesday's practice.

ANALYSIS
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Under evaluation for head injury

TEDetroit Lions

Concussion

December 23, 2018

Willson exited late in the first half of Sunday's game against the Vikings to be evaluated for a concussion, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

ANALYSIS
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