Last season’s Doak Walker award winner at Boston College, Andre Williams will bring his brand of hard-nosed and decisive running to a Giants team that is in the middle of an overhaul on offense. Drafted in the fourth round, Williams doesn’t do anything specific that pops out at you on film, but he was highly productive in college and will be given a chance to compete for carries in New York this season.
Fantasy Upside
Williams is a tough player who shows the vision necessary to succeed at the NFL level. Additionally, he’s looked good in early pre-season action, and is drawing positive reviews from camp, even getting spot duty with the first team. The Giants redesigned their offense this year, including new members on the line, a new offensive coordinator, and a pair of new running backs including Williams. As much as any rookie, Williams will have every opportunity to earn playing time.
Fantasy Downside
Head Coach Tom Coughlin has been reluctant to rely on rookies early on, and Williams is a fourth round pick, so there’s little investment there to force early playing time. Also, Williams is behind free agent acquisition Rashad Jennings for the time being, and Williams adds nothing to the passing game based on career collegiate numbers of only 10 receptions and 60 yards receiving. While Williams should have opportunities and is a smart and talented runner, there is no guarantee that he’ll have enough of a workload to make him fantasy viable.
Bottom Line
With reasons for Williams to have a great season, and reasons for him to do very little, the smart money is that he lands somewhere in between. The Giants have successfully deployed two running back systems in the past, and Williams will likely end up with 6-10 touches per game as the primary backup and change of pace player behind Jennings. He’s a good handcuff option for Jennings owners, and isn’t bad value considering his upside in rounds 10-12. Just be prepared for his downside as your eyes get glossy looking at his 2,177 yards and 18 touchdowns last year at B.C.