After just two weeks of the NFL season, it has become obvious that Mike Williams is a top-level commodity and a must-start this fantasy football season.
Williams has already blown away all fantasy projections entering the 2021 season, as he was the 49th-ranked WR, with an ADP of 99, and was projected just 153 points total on the fantasy season. As we enter Week 3 of the fantasy football season, Williams has racked up the fifth-most fantasy points of any receiver across the league, reeling in 15 receptions for 173 yards and adding two touchdowns on his way to 44.3 fantasy points.
Until proven otherwise, Justin Herbert makes Mike Williams a fantasy must-start each and every week this NFL season.
Justin Herbert’s Positive Effect on Mike Williams
As the number seven overall pick out of Clemson in the 2017 NFL Draft, Mike Williams arrived to the Chargers with some monster expectations on his shoulders. Things started out slow for him, as he immediately played second fiddle to Keenan Allen and the rest of the talent on that Chargers squad.
Though he has improved each and every year, averaging 807 yards, 46 receptions and five touchdowns across the three seasons following a lackluster rookie campaign, he has ultimately not been the player you’d hope for when taking a WR in the top 10 of a draft.
Enter Justin Herbert.
Herbert is the type of QB that makes every single player on the field better, and he may just be a saving grace for Mike Williams’ career. Not to mention add a few more zeroes to his next contract, as Williams is set to become a free agent following this season.
Before Herbert’s arrival, Williams floundered in mediocrity, averaging just over nine fantasy points per game. With the departure of Hunter Henry and the frequent injuries between Allen and Austin Ekeler, Herbert very wisely has developed a rapport with Williams, and it has shown itself in a big way already this season.
Herbert’s ability to make every pass and push the ball downfield opens up the playbook and gives first-year Chargers OC Joe Lombardi endless possibilities. No one has benefited from this more than Mike Williams.
Start Mike Williams in Fantasy Football
Regardless if you’re a long-term believer in Mike Williams or not, there is absolutely no reason he should not be in your starting fantasy football lineup for the foreseeable future. He doesn’t necessarily have easy defensive matchups on the horizon, but he has already proved that not to matter much.
Another thing to note is that Williams is putting up incredible numbers while his team as a whole is not scoring very many points. In both the WFT and Dallas Cowboys games, Williams was able to put up over 22 fantasy points, while the Chargers scored just 20 and 17 points in those games, respectively.
Herbert is only going to get better, and his number of pass attempts is certainly not going to come down (88 already this season).
What will be interesting is how Williams will respond to WR1 coverage if/when Allen inevitably goes down. Some say it will be a detriment to Williams’ fantasy ability, as he is flourishing in the WR2 spot right now. Until that happens though, you cannot afford to have Mike Williams on your bench any longer.
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