Williams will be part of the Saints' running back committee in 2023, a deeper and more talented group than the one he led in Motown a year ago. With the Lions, Williams had 274 touches and over 1,100 total yards with a ridiculous 17 touchdowns (13 from two yards or closer). In New Orleans, Williams will likely share carries with Alvin Kamara for most of the season and isn't even promised a short-yardage goal-line role since Taysom Hill has excelled there. Williams has additional upside for the first three weeks while Kamara is suspended, but he'll likely still share touches with rookie Kendre Miller. Point is, Williams is in a much messier situation this season without the guarantee to score even eight times. If you draft accordingly and take him after 100th overall, you should be satisfied with him as a solid bench RB.
Williams recorded five rushes for 10 yards and hauled in his only target for six yards during Sunday's 33-28 defeat versus the Lions.
Williams tallied five or fewer rushing attempts for the fifth time in the last six games. His usage in the rushing game remained minimal despite the absence of rookie running back Kendre Miller (ankle) for the second week in a row. Instead, top runing back Alvin Kamara and versatile tight end Taysom Hill continued to form a unique one-two punch, accouting for 27 carries for 110 yards and three rushing scores. Wideout Lynn Bowden also got involved with two rushing attempts while Rashid Shaheed (thigh), who usually serves as a rushing threat on end arounds, was inactive Sunday. Barring any injuries to Kamara and/or Hill moving forward, Williams should continue to play a negligible role in this rushing attack.
Williams rushed twice for six yards and and brought in both targets for four yards in the Saints' 24-15 loss to the Falcons on Sunday.
The veteran back didn't see any benefit from the absence of rookie backfield mate Kendre Miller (ankle), as the versatile Lynn Bowden actually recorded the same amount of carries and gained 38 more yards than Williams. Williams has just 47 carries all season, and he hasn't come close to matching the 18 rush attempts he logged back in Week 1 while Alvin Kamara was still on suspension. Williams' minimal role and Miller's possible return in a difficult Week 13 matchup against the Lions' tough run defense makes the former a fantasy non-factor for the time being.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Neglected in paltry rushing effort
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Williams recorded four carries for seven yards and reeled in his only target for three yards during Sunday's 27-19 defeat versus the Vikings.
Williams logged fewer than five rushing attempts for the second week in a row, as he was once again neglected in the Saints' rushing offense. The 224-pound backup has had an extremely limited role since returning from IR in Week 7. This persisted Sunday even though the team's leading rushers this season, Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill, logged just nine carries and one rush, respectively. While New Orleans' lack of rushing success combined with falling behind early certainly did not help his production, Williams' lack of usage over the last four weeks (18 rushing attempts, 57 yards) indicates that he's not worth any significant attention from fantasy managers.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Limited impact again Week 9
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Williams compiled three rushes for six yards and hauled in two of three targets for six yards during Sunday's 24-17 victory against Chicago.
Williams played his second-highest percentage of offensive snaps this season (42), but he still found himself in a backseat role to leading rushers Alvin Kamara (26) and Taysom Hill (52). These two accounted for 20 of the team's 27 carries Sunday, as they now lead the team in rushing yards this season with 346 and 255, respectively. Williams showed that he could be an effective stopgap running back while Kamara was suspended to begin the season. But it looks like he'll be relegated to a minimal role now that the team is fully leaning into an effective one-two punch with Kamara and Hill.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Plays third fiddle in rushing game
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Williams tallied six carries for 30 yards and caught his only target for eight yards during Sunday's 38-27 victory over the Colts.
Williams' production remained largely the same for the second week in a row, as he continued to serve as the Saints' No. 2 running back behind bell-cow back Alvin Kamara, who logged 17 carries Sunday. However, the team's leading rusher was actually hybrid tight end Taysom Hill, as he racked up 63 rushing yards on nine carries. Hill and Kamara also accounted for all three of the team's rushing scores versus Indianapolis. Meanwhile, Williams has totaled 44 rushing yards while playing less than 25 percent of offensive snaps over the past two weeks. Williams was largely expected to be a consistent RB2 while seeing considerable run in short-yardage situations, but his usage since returning from IR seems to indicate otherwise. He'll look to play a bigger role Week 9 versus Chicago.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Modest output in return
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Williams (hamstring) rushed five times for 14 yards and wasn't targeted in the Saints' 31-24 loss to the Jaguars on Thursday night.
Williams logged 12 fewer carries than backfield mate Alvin Kamara in their first game together, unsurprising given the elevated volume the latter had already seen during his first three games. Williams may see his workload tick up a bit further in coming games, but Kamara appears to be entrenched as the clear lead back while handling a heavier workload than in seasons past, at least for the time being.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Back in action Thursday
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Williams (hamstring) is listed as active Thursday against the Jaguars, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
After missing the minimum four games on injured reserve due to a hamstring strain, Williams is back in action for the first time since getting hurt Week 2. His initial role following his return is in some question, though, as Alvin Kamara completed his three-game suspension during Williams' absence and has averaged 25 touches per week over the last three contests. Kamara figures to get the occasional breather and also yield work to Williams in short-yardage situations, but even in his two appearances this season, the latter received just four red-zone rushes, none of which came inside the five-yard line.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Comes off IR, still questionable
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The Saints activated Williams (hamstring) from injured reserve Thursday.
Williams thus is one step closer to seeing his first game action since straining his hamstring Week 2 after missing the requisite four games on injured reserve. However, he was listed as questionable on the Saints' final Week 7 practice report, so his status for Thursday's contest against the Jaguars won't be confirmed until 90 minutes before an 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff. Assuming he suits up, Williams will complement starting running back Alvin Kamara, likely in short-yardage situations as he's done in previous campaigns with the Lions and, before that, the Packers.
Williams (hamstring) is expected to be activated and suit up for Thursday's game against the Jaguars, potentially resulting in a three-headed backfield split, John Sigler of USA Today reports.
Williams, who hasn't played since Week 2, is expected to officially come off IR prior to Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff. He hasn't yet suited up for a game alongside Alvin Kamara this season, so fantasy managers have yet to see how New Orleans' backfield split will be divvied up with all the team's main RBs healthy. If Williams has no workload limitations, he could take notable work from Kamara, while rookie Kendre Miller has shown occasional flashes this season and may still be involved on offense versus Jacksonville as a No. 3 or change-of-pace option. Of course, Williams' nose for the end zone makes him a candidate to find fantasy success even without necessarily logging an even workload split, should he benefit from the right gamescript.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Expected to play Thursday
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Williams (hamstring) is expected to be activated and suit up for Thursday's game against the Jaguars, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Williams, who had his 21-day practice window opened Tuesday and is officially listed as questionable for Thursday's contest, appears on track to be fully activated from IR in time to play versus Jacksonville on Thursday Night Football. Official word on his status will come prior to Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, but if Williams is indeed active he may only be in line to handle a handful of touches behind lead back Alvin Kamara. That would also mark the first time this season that Williams and Kamara have been available at the same time.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Estimated as limited Monday
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Williams (hamstring) was estimated as a limited participant on Monday's practice report, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
The Saints haven't yet opened Williams' 21-day window to return from injured reserve, but the transaction will most likely become official when New Orleans holds its next traditional practice rather than a walk-through. Prior to going down with a hamstring strain and missing the Saints' last four games, Williams turned 27 carries into 74 scoreless yards (2.7 yards per carry) and caught two passes for seven yards. Once he returns, Williams will slide in as the top complement to lead back Alvin Kamara.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Shifts to injured reserve
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Williams, who was already ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Packers due to a hamstring injury, was placed on injured reserve Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Williams reportedly "tweaked" his hamstring in Monday's win over the Panthers and failed to practice all week, but the prevailing sentiment was that the veteran would be in store for just a one-game absence. However, after moving to injured reserve, Williams will now be sidelined for at least four games, with the Saints' Oct. 19 contest versus Jacksonville representing his earliest return date. By that point, Alvin Kamara will be far past his three-game suspension to begin the season, and rookie Kendre Miller (hamstring) -- who is making his NFL debut Sunday -- could make a case to push Williams for work on rushing downs. With Kamara serving the final game of his suspension Sunday, expect Tony Jones, Miller and quarterback Taysom Hill to serve as the Saints' main options on the ground.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Out this week
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Williams (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game in Green Bay.
Williams as a September lineup option didn't work out how drafters imagined, with 52 total yards Week 1 followed by an early exit due to the hamstring injury Week 2. He'll now miss one game and possibly more, before returning to a Saints offense that will have Alvin Kamara back from suspension. Fantasy utility at some point this year is still a distinct possibility, though it may now rely on the possibility of Kamara missing time due to an injury rather than the guarantee of his three-game suspension. For Week 3, the Saints have Tony Jones and Kendre Miller on hand for RB snaps, in addition to the ever-present options of giving Taysom Hill more carries and/or Derek Carr more pass attempts.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Absent again Friday
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Williams (hamstring) wasn't spotted during the media-access portion of Friday's practice, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Williams thus is poised to go down as a non-participant for a third consecutive session due to the hamstring issue that he picked up Monday at Carolina, and the Saints may even clarify his status ahead of Sunday's game in Green Bay upon the release of Friday's injury report. If Williams is unable to go this weekend, some combination of Tony Jones, rookie Kendre Miller and practice-squad members Kirk Merritt and Jordan Mims will handle running back reps for New Orleans, with Taysom Hill also on hand for carries.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Sits out walk-through practice
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Williams (hamstring) didn't take part in Wednesday's walk-through practice, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Williams left Monday's eventual win at Carolina in the second quarter and was unable to return. On Tuesday, head coach Dennis Allen said that Williams will require "some time" to get past his hamstring injury, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. It's thus no surprise that Williams is opening Week 3 prep with no activity. If Williams is limited or sidelined Sunday at Green Bay, the Saints likely will roll with Tony Jones as their lead option on the ground, with Taysom Hill (knee) and potentially Kendre Miller (hamstring) also mixing in for change-of-pace work.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Expected to miss time
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Williams (hamstring) could miss Sunday's game against the Packers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Williams tweaked his hamstring in Monday's victory over the Panthers and head coach Dennis Allen suggested Tuesday the running back would miss "some time", although how much time remains unclear. Kendre Miller (hamstring), Tony Jones and the versatile Taysom Hill are all candidates to see more work in the backfield if Williams is indeed sidelined. Alvin Kamara (suspension) will also return in Week 4 and should immediately move into the top spot on the depth chart.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Return doubtful
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Williams (hamstring) is now considered doubtful to return to Monday's game against the Panthers, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Williams originally was considered questionable to return, so he is not trending in the right direction. He exited the game in the second quarter after recording 29 yards on nine carries. As a result, Tony Jones currently is the only healthy and available running back on the roster. However, the Saints have also been utilizing packages around the versatile Taysom Hill.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Questionable to return
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Williams is questionable to return to Monday's matchup with the Panthers due to a hamstring injury, Augusta Stone of the Panthers' official site reports.
Williams exited the game in the second quarter after accumulating 29 yards on nine carries. With Kendre Miller (hamstring) and Kirk Merritt (coach's decision) both inactive, Tony Jones currently is the the team's only healthy and available running back. It remains to be seen if Williams will be able to return.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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There really isn't much else to say. If you start Williams you're hoping he continues to play a lot and see a lot of work in what should be a favorable game script against a suddenly suspect Panthers run defense. He's a better start in non-PPR but I'd use him in either format over any Commanders running back, any Eagles running back, any Bills running back or any Bears running back.
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Saints' Jamaal Williams: RBs to Start
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Keep an eye on Kendre Miller (hamstring) and if he can return in Week 2 after sitting out the Week 1 game against Tennessee. If he's out against the Panthers, Williams should be a solid No. 2 running back in all leagues against the Panthers. With Miller out and Alvin Kamara suspended against the Titans, Williams played 75 percent of the snaps and had 20 total touches (two catches on two targets). He only managed 52 total yards, but I expected him to struggle against a tough Titans defense. Carolina's defense isn't as good against the run, and Atlanta just abused the Panthers for 131 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, along with nine catches for 46 yards and a score on nine targets. This could be Williams' best game of the year.
