Skip to main content

Fantasy Football Draft or Pass: Damien Williams

Author:
Publish date:
Video Rating:
TV-G
Video Duration:
2:23

According to the latest ADP data, the Chiefs veteran running back is currently being drafted as the 92nd overall player and 36th running back.

After a promising end of the season in 2018 and the historic stats produced by running backs in Andy Reid’s offensive scheme, many fantasy football managers invested a late third/early fourth round pick on Williams in 2019. That proved to be ill-advised as the Chiefs rusher finished with just 498 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Williams missed five games due to injury and split time with LeSean McCoy and Darrell Williams when healthy. Heading into 2020, Williams is being completely overlooked due to Kansas City’s first round selection of running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Sports Illustrated’s fantasy football analyst Ben Heisler and ArrowHead Report’s Joshua Brisco both agree Edwards-Helaire is being overdrafted. But where do they come down on Williams’ ADP?

Video Transcript: 

Bill Enright: Chiefs veteran running back Damien Williams is currently being drafted as the 92nd overall player in PPR formats. That too high or is it too low? Find out what the experts have to say. Talking with SI fantasy analyst Ben Heisler and ArrowHead Report editor Joshua Brisco. Josh, I'm going to start with you. As you know, the Chiefs better than anybody. What do you make of the Chiefs backfield heading into 2020?

Joshua Brisco: Look, I think this is pretty good value for Damien Williams fantasy-wise. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is obviously like the hot name, the first round draft pick, the only running back taken in the first round. Rookie of the year potential and certainly rookie of the year hype. All of that is fair. I totally get it. I'd rather have Damien Williams at his value where he's currently being drafted than I would for Clyde Edwards-Helaire where he's being drafted much, much higher. I think it's going to be a split role and I frankly think it's going to be a bit of a running back by committee. I know that's a dirty phrase in fantasy, but if it's going to be a split, even if it's Clyde first and Williams second, I think Williams is value right now, especially early in the year, is going to be a really good value.

Bill Enright: Josh brought up Clyde Edward-Helaire We did a fantasy profile on him. You can check it out by going to SI.com/fantasy. Ben, let me ask you, what are you making of Damien Williams' current ADP, which has him coming off the board as the 36th running back?

Ben Heisler: I think as much as everybody was overvaluing Clyde Edwards-Helaire, they're undervaluing Damien Williams. The chiefs are bringing the band back together, right? They're running it all back for 2020. They had even brought back Sammy Watkins. It's essentially the same team that won the Super Bowl in 2019. You think Andy Reid, after waiting 22 years to win a Super Bowl, is just going to throw aside a key part of their success in the postseason down the stretch? I don't think so. I like Damien Williams' story. I think his value is there going in that seventh, eighth round as a guy and still going to catch a ton of passes. Love him on the wheel route. He's always fantastic in that area as well. So go ahead and get some outstanding value, and a guy that still has a chance to be the lead back in Kansas City in the seventh or eighth round. It's pretty remarkable value. I really like Damien Williams in that spot.