Still a Timeshare in Denver?
Javonte Williams is a tremendous football player with tons of juice and explosiveness. Last year in 2021 Williams produced 903 yards on 203 rushing attempts. He totaled 7 total touchdowns including 43 receptions for 316 yards as well. Williams finished the 2021 season as the RB 17 in PPR. There is no doubt that Javonte has what it takes to be a top 5 running back. But, with Melvin Gordon set to give it another go in Denver, can we expect more of the same for Williams this year?
2021 Stats for Melvin Gordon
Melvin Gordon produced 918 yards on 203 carries. Adding in 10 total touchdowns, Gordon also produced 28 receptions for an additional 213 yards. He finished the season in PPR formats as the RB 22
2022 Outlook for Fantasy
Given the fact that both Williams and Gordon’s workloads were both evenly split, I fully expected there to be not much of a difference this season. Russell Wilson’s presence in Denver will also make the passing game much more efficient therefore relying less on a heavy run game attack. Needless to say, Javonte is currently being drafted in the late 2nd round and can drop to the early or middle of the 3rd depending on your league. I’m sorry, but there’s no way I’m drafting Javonte that earlier for another potential repeat season. Melvin Gordon is being drafted right around 8th round and is a much better value in my opinion. Some other fantasy options being drafted around Javonte are Nick Chubb, Alvin Kamara, Aaron Jones, & Leonard Fournette.
Confident Conclusion
Javonte has elite like potential and can a great fantasy asset. Currently his situation sharing the workload with Melvin Gordon has hindered his workhorse type of ability. The price that you pay for Williams is far too big when compared to other starting Running backs in that draft range. The only way I see Javonte exceeding what he is being drafted for is an injury to Gordon. If Javonte was a 3 down back, then he would have major fantasy upside. As long as Melvin Gordon is in the mix, Javonte’s opportunities will be limited. For such a talented and outstanding running back, Williams will have a difficult time retaining the value that you paid for him.
