Mike Williams Fantasy Football Outlook 2022 (Consistency Is Key to Top WR Finish)

While Mike Williams has always been known as an impressive deep threat, he proved that his skill set is much more diverse in 2021. The 27-year-old racked up 1,146 yards and 9 touchdowns on a career-high 76 receptions across 16 games played. Williams finished as the No. 12 WR in fantasy football.

With that being the case, it's no surprise to see Williams rising in fantasy football rankings as the regular season nears closer. His average draft position (ADP) has him going as the 19th wide receiver off the board and as an early fifth-round selection.

Mike Williams Fantasy Football Outlook

The first five weeks in 2021 were a whirlwind for Williams. He was the No. 2 WR in PPR-scoring leagues during that span, averaging 94.2 receiving yards per game to go along with 6 touchdowns scored. The five-year pro eventually cooled off, finishing as the No. 12 WR overall. He left a lot of touchdowns on the board, though. Williams finished eighth in the NFL with 23 red zone targets, but hauled in only nine of them.

Williams has a shot to replicate his success from 2021 if he can improve on his volatility. He finished as a top 14 PPR WR six times and outside of the top 40 PPR WRs seven times. Taking advantage of the fact that he received the 22nd-best receiving grade by ProFootballFocus is the key here.

Williams obviously has the talent to take over and sees less blanketed coverage than most due to the presence of Keenan Allen. The Chargers love to play at a fast pace and posted the third-most pass attempts in 2021 (674), too. That does nothing but heighten Williams' ceiling.

Williams signed a three-year deal worth $60 million in free agency this offseason to stay with the Chargers. He easily could've gone elsewhere, but is sticking with quarterback Justin Herbert. That goes to show how much he believes in this offense and the role he is capable of playing in it. He pairs with Allen as one of the best one-two punches in the NFL.

Mike Williams Projections

Projections from the NFL odds on FanDuel Sportsbook expect Williams to be a force to be reckoned with in 2022. He's 11th to lead the NFL in receiving yards (+3000), which is one spot higher than where he finished last season. He's also 13th to lead the NFL in receiving touchdowns. That is obviously going to be a much harder title to take home considering Williams has never posted more than 10 touchdowns in one campaign. When taking Williams' averages over the last three years into account (3.4 receptions per game, 16.8-yard average), the idea of him logging his third 1,000-yard season is in reach.

Is Mike Williams a Good Fantasy Football Pick?

When it comes down to it, is Williams someone to target in the middle rounds? Absolutely. The Clemson product could end up as a WR1 when all is said and done. He's the No. 20 wide receiver in The Duel's PPR fantasy football rankings, and is a perfect target when searching for a WR2.

Everything that resulted in a career year for Williams is back in 2022. That includes the offensive scheme, the quarterback, the head coach and the surrounding personnel. Seeing him take a step down in production would be a surprise at this point.

If you've drafted Williams this year, or you're a Chargers fan, make sure to check out the best Los Angeles Chargers fantasy football team names for your squad.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.