Javonte Williams Has Lost Weight Heading Into 2024
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that he wanted Javonte Williams to look more like he did during his final season at North Carolina with a goal weight of 220-to-221 pounds. Williams was praised by Payton for being in good shape and working on his condition. Following a 2023 season where Williams had looked a bit sluggish, the 24-year-old now competes to make the Broncos' roster as he's been the subject of rumors as a cut candidate. If Williams can hold off second-year pro Jaleel McLaughlin, rookie Audric Estime, and veteran Samaje Perine, Williams should maintain a lead role for the Broncos. Williams looks to improve his 3.6 yards per carry and with his ADP of 115.5, he's a value in the middle rounds of drafts to bounce back to the promise he had as a former second-round pick in 2021.
Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams took first-team reps in every drill at training camp on Wednesday. Head coach Sean Payton praised Williams, saying he lost weight and is in good shape with noticeably different conditioning. After looking a step slow all year and averaging 3.6 yards per carry over 217 rushing attempts in his first season following ACL, LCL, and PLC ligament tears, Williams is off on the right foot at practice despite rumors circulating that he could be a cut candidate this offseason. Still only 24 years old, Williams will still need to hold off the speedy Jaleel McLaughlin, rookie Audric Estime, and veteran Samaje Perine for a featured role in Denver's crowded backfield. If Perine ends up being a cap casualty, however, Williams' ADP of 115.5 would start to come up. For now, he should continue to be treated as an RB3 option in a weak Broncos offense.
The Denver Post's Troy Renck believes that Denver Broncos running backs Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine are competing for one roster spot in training camp and the preseason this year as the Broncos look to improve what was a very lackluster rushing offense in 2023. Williams is entering his fourth NFL season and averaged 3.2 yards per carry over the final 10 games last year. The poor efficiency could be attributed to it being his first full season coming off a serious knee injury, and he looked bigger and stronger this spring. Perine is a trusted third-down weapon that excels in pass protection. Rookie Audric Estime is going to make the team, and if he really impresses, it could put Williams' spot in jeopardy. We'd be surprised if the Broncos outright cut Williams, but it's a reminder of how far his fantasy stock has fallen after he had RB1 upside heading into the 2022 season.
Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams "will face a challenging battle" to maintain his role heading into the 2024 season, according to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. He notes that the same is true for Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin. It appears as though all three holdover running backs in Denver have reduced job security after the team drafted Audric Estime and signed Blake Watson. There will be plenty of competition throughout the offseason as the Broncos work to determine which running backs are worthy of key volume in 2024. However, as of now, it appears there's at least some favor for Estime and Watson while the three returners may need to do a little extra to prove themselves. From a fantasy perspective, Williams and Estime seem like the most intriguing names, but Perine and Watson (and even McLaughlin) benefit from their pass-catching skills.
Javonte Williams Leads Team With Seven Receptions, Finds End Zone
Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams finished the regular season with a strong performance in the 27-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. He led the team with nine carries for 32 yards and only his third rushing touchdown of the season and also led the team with seven catches on a team-high nine targets for an additional 43 yards. It helped that rookie Jaleel McLaughlin left the game with a head injury and never returned. The 23-year-old entered Week 18 after barely averaging over 2.00 yards per carry the last two weeks, but he was able to finish strong heading into the offseason. Overall, the third-year back was a disappointment, carrying the ball 217 times for 774 yards and three touchdowns while adding 47 catches (58 targets) for 228 yards and two TDs through the air. Heading into the final year of his contract, Williams' fantasy value in 2024 will depend on what Denver does at the QB position in the offseason.
Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams has posted double-digit half-PPR points just four times all season and has only two rushing touchdowns in 15 games. It's been that kind of disappointing year for the 23-year-old. In the last three games, he's averaged 2.42 yards per carry on 38 attempts for 92 yards and a touchdown. The Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders have nothing left to play for but pride in the Week 18 regular season finale on Sunday, and it's expected that Williams will take a back seat to undrafted rookie Jaleel McLaughlin in the final game of the season. Fewer touches coupled with the lack of efficiency for Williams in recent weeks makes him a clear fade in season-long leagues and DFS contests against Vegas, whose defense has been much stiffer against the run in the last five weeks.
Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams has been having trouble finding room to run over the last few games. Coming into Sunday's game, Williams was held to under 30 rushing yards in each of the last two contests. He was able to have a little better of a game, but still an inefficient performance from the young back. Williams rushed 15 times for 41 yards, while adding three receptions for 17 yards to his total in the win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Possibly, things will get better for Williams during next week's matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Williams will be a fringe RB2 for that Week 18 matchup.
Javonte Williams Could See Big Workload In Week 17
Although Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams had his second rushing touchdown of the year in the Christmas Eve loss to the New England Patriots, he was pretty poor otherwise with 11 carries for only 24 yards while catching three passes for minus-five yards. He's scored in two of his last three games but has only 51 rushing yards on 23 carries (2.22 yards per attempt) in the last two contests. The 23-year-old could be leaned on more in a great matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday now that quarterback Jarrett Stidham is running Denver's offense, but fantasy managers may not be able to get past how bad Williams has been of late. The Broncos offense could very well take a step back with both Russell Wilson and top wideout Courtland Sutton (concussion) on the bench. Consider Williams a touchdown-dependent RB3/flex in Week 17 in a plus matchup.
Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams continued to struggle for running room in Sunday night's difficult 26-23 loss to the New England Patriots, taking 11 carries for 24 yards and a touchdown with three catches for a loss of five yards. New England stuffed Williams at the goal line on fourth-and-goal on Denver's first series after the Pats turned it over, but the 23-year-old tailback scored later in the first quarter. Williams lost a fumble early in the second period, and it was all pretty much downhill from there besides a late two-point conversion to pad his stat line. Meanwhile, Jaleel McLaughlin scurried for 67 yards on 10 touches in Week 16. Williams has just looked a step slow at times in his first year back from a 2022 ACL tear. The 2021 second-rounder is fairly volume-driven and hasn't had great TD luck but draws a favorable matchup in Week 17 versus the Los Angeles Chargers, where Williams will rank as an RB2.
Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams struggled in Week 15 as he gained just 27 yards on 12 carries. He will look to bounce back against the New England Patriots in Week 16. The Patriots have been decent against running backs this season as they are allowing the 18th-most fantasy points per game to the position thus far. Williams has just three total touchdowns on the season and doesn't have a particularly high ceiling in a Sunday night game with just a 35-point over/under. He is worth consideration as a high-end RB3/flex option in Week 16.
