Who Should I Start? DeVonta Smith or Jameson Williams

Thursday, April 9, 5:15 AM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams' NFL career got off to a rocky start. Injury, suspensions, and one of the league's highest drop rates limited the former 12th overall pick to only 25 catches, 395 yards, and three scores through his first two seasons. Williams has since strung together back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons and scored 15 total touchdowns since 2024, but he likely still has yet to reach his true ceiling. A large part of Williams' turnaround has been gaining his coaches' trust and being used in a wider variety of ways. Rather than just relying on his speed to chase down go balls, Williams has become one of the most dangerous receivers in the league on crosser routes. His work with the ball in his hands has elevated his fantasy value, but he has acknowledged that he needs to get stronger to reliably work through traffic, and he has still been plagued by untimely drops and the occasional disappearing act. Five times in the past two seasons, Williams has been held to fewer than 10 receiving yards, combining for negative yardage across his three worst outings. His nine drops in 2025 marked a career high. Williams is RotoBaller's WR27 in dynasty rankings, but it's likely we've yet to see his best, and it should surprise nobody if that number continues to rise.