Mike Williams

Mike Williams

28-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR
Los Angeles Chargers
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Williams exploded early in 2021 but otherwise has been stuck in the good-but-not-great category -- mildly disappointing for someone drafted seventh overall in 2017. Even Keenan Allen's absence for seven games last year wasn't enough to spark Williams for huge numbers, with the Chargers instead throwing a boatload of passes to RB Austin Ekeler. It is possible new OC Kellen Moore helps Williams' cause, especially if he brings the fast-paced approach from Dallas, but it mostly appears Williams just doesn't have the separation skills to draw a huge volume of targets even in a friendly offense. He's always been excellent on jump balls and in the red zone, leaving the crafty route-running underneath to Allen and Ekeler. Injuries have also been an on-and-off issue, with an ankle sprain costing Williams four games last season and a back fracture holding him out from the playoffs. He should have plenty of time to recover before training camp and learn the ins-and-outs of Moore's offense, but Williams is no longer the only show in town when it comes to deep-ball prowess after the Chargers spent their first-round pick on 6-4 wideout Quentin Johnston, who ran a 4.49 at his pro day. While unlikely to outproduce Williams right away, Johnston could take some of the deep looks that went to his veteran teammate in past seasons. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
$Signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Chargers in March of 2022.
Restructures contract for cap room
WRLos Angeles Chargers
Back
March 9, 2023
Williams (back) agreed to restructure his contract Thursday, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports.
ANALYSIS
The Chargers needed cap relief, and the restructures of Williams and Keenan Allen provided it. Williams' salary conversion creates $5.46 million in 2023 cap space for Los Angeles. Williams was injured in a Week 18 loss to Denver and missed his team's playoff game against the Jaguars but should be healthy now.
Read More News
NFL Stats
Loading NFL Stats...
Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
Loading Fantasy/Red Zone Stats...
Advanced NFL Stats
How do Mike Williams' 2022 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
86.8
 
Air Yards Per Snap
1.66
 
% Team Air Yards
25.8%
 
% Team Targets
13.5%
 
Avg Depth of Target
12.1 Yds
 
Catch Rate
67.7%
 
Drop Rate
1.1%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
5.2
 
% Targeted On Route
20.8%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
2.00
 
Loading Advanced NFL Stats...
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2022 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2021 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2020 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2019 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2018 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2017 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Los Angeles ChargersChargers 2022 WR Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

93777%
69857%
68056%
57147%
22318%
514%
292%
Loading Weekly Snap Counts...
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Mike Williams lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Team Alignment Breakdown...
2022 Mike Williams Split Stats
Loading NFL Split Stats...
Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Mike Williams' measurables compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 4"
 
Weight
218 lbs
 
Vertical Jump
32.5 in
 
Broad Jump
121 in
 
Bench Press
15 reps
 
Hand Length
9.38 in
 
Arm Length
33.38 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Mike Williams See More
2023 Top Rookies: Players Who Could Make a Fantasy Impact
2 days ago
John McKechnie analyzes the fantasy impact of this year's rookie class, including Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, who will cost a first-round fantasy pick.
RotoWire Roundtable: 2023 Top-150 Fantasy Rankings
3 days ago
RotoWire gathered its top football writers for their top-150 rankings for the 2023 season. Among the players with the greatest variance, Lamar Jackson stands out.
ADP Analysis: Rookie Reactions, Chiefs Moving Up, QBs Falling on Underdog
23 days ago
Rashee Rice isn't the only Chiefs wide receiver moving up draft boards this May. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are slipping with WRs becoming more popular in the early rounds.
ADP Analysis: Comparing Post-Draft ADPs from Underdog, DraftKings, Drafters and FFPC
26 days ago
Jerry Donabedian compares May ADP results from four different best ball sites and finds that young WRs tend to be cheapest on DraftKings.
NFL Draft: First-Round Fantasy Reactions
40 days ago
John McKechnie recaps the fantasy football fallout from the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft where Jahmyr Gibbs' addition to the Detroit backfield sent shockwaves through the fantasy community.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Williams finally appeared to put it all together last year in his second season catching passes from Justin Herbert. The first four years of Williams' career included a 10-TD season in 2018 (but with only 664 yards) and a 1,001-yard season in 2019 (with only two TDs). Last year, Williams again provided big plays and touchdowns, and also topped his career high for targets by 39. On paper, it was a legitimate breakout, placing him at WR9 for standard scoring and WR12 for PPR. The one problem? Williams averaged 6.2 catches for 94 yards and 1.2 TDs on 10.2 targets the first five weeks, followed by 4.1 catches for 61.4 yards and 0.3 TDs on 7.1 targets in his final 11 games. In other words, he reverted back to his old self after a month, at least on the stat sheet. It makes for an interesting case as the No. 7 overall pick from the 2017 Draft prepares for Year 6, now signed to a three-year, $60 million extension. There's no question the Chargers' passing game will run through Williams, Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler, and there's not much doubt it'll be one of the better attacks in the league. The question is whether Williams will earn a big piece of that pie, like he did in early 2021, or if he'll spend more time clearing out space for Allen and Ekeler to see short targets.
The seventh overall pick in 2017, Williams has quietly lived up to his billing, though you wouldn’t necessarily know it from his cosmetic stats. His per-play output has been among the league’s best the last three seasons. The problem for Williams has always been volume, and last season was no different. Despite missing only one game, Williams managed just 85 targets, compared to Keenan Allen’s far less efficient 147 in 14 games. The Chargers also have a high-volume pass-catching running back in Austin Ekeler (though he was hurt for much of last year) and replaced the departed Hunter Henry with Jared Cook at tight end — i.e., if Williams is to get more opportunities this season it won’t be due to personnel changes. At 6-4, 218, with 4.49 speed and a massive wingspan, Williams can outreach, out-jump and outmuscle defensive backs. While quarterback Philip Rivers used to throw him jump balls, Justin Herbert has the arm and downfield accuracy to hit Williams in stride. Williams had fewer big plays last year — only two catches of 40-plus yards, down from a league-leading eight in 2019 — in part because the team used rookie burner Jaylen Guyton (four 40-yard catches) to attack downfield. New head coach Brandon Staley — the former Rams defensive coordinator — and his offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi could change the target distribution in Williams’ favor this season, but Allen is likely the top dog, and Lombardi’s previous stints favored pass-catching backs like Ekeler.
After scoring 10 TDs on only 66 targets in 2018, Williams' TD/target ratio cratered last year with only two scores on 89 looks. Chalk it up mostly to bad luck. Williams had roughly the same number of red-zone and goal-line targets both seasons, dropped only three passes all year and tied for the league lead with a whopping eight catches for 40-plus yards. In other words, he had adequate red-zone looks, a ton of big plays and only two TDs to show for it. Williams was also efficient. He led all 85-target receivers with 20.4 YPC, and was second to A.J. Brown with 11.2 YPT. At 6-4, 220, and with a giant wingspan, Williams doesn't need to be open to make a play, and his 4.49 wheels allow him to get downfield. With Philip Rivers gone, the Chargers apparently will roll with Tyrod Taylor at QB, though they drafted Justin Herbert sixth overall. Either way, it probably means fewer overall passes and not as many downfield throws. But Williams is one of the NFL's more physically gifted WRs, and the 2017 seventh overall pick should continue to increase his share in the passing game relative to Rivers-favorite Keenan Allen. At the least, expect a bounce back in TDs. Williams acknowledged after the season he played on a sore knee, but exams showed no major damage, and he returned healthy for the start of training camp. Unfortunately, he sprained his shoulder during a practice in late August, leaving his Week 1 status up in the air.
After barely playing his rookie year due to a back injury, the seventh overall pick from the 2017 draft showed encouraging signs during his second season. Although he saw only 66 targets (60th), Williams scored a whopping 10 times (T-6th) and averaged 10.1 YPT and 15.4 YPC. At 6-4, 220, Williams is a huge receiver with a massive catch radius, and the Chargers used him a lot near the goal line - nine (T-8th) of his 66 targets were from inside the 10, and he scored on six. Williams also runs well for his size with a 4.49 40 time at his pro day (he didn't run at the NFL combine). Chargers GM Tom Telesco gave Williams a vote of confidence in March, saying the 24-year-old wide receiver has the ability to handle a high-volume role, and Telesco backed up that confidence by letting Tyrell Williams (65 targets) leave for Oakland this offseason. That makes Mike Williams the primary red-zone and downfield weapon this year while Keenan Allen runs mostly short and intermediate routes. Allen is still the favorite to lead the team in targets, and the Chargers should have Hunter Henry at full strength, but Williams with more volume could push for the NFL lead in touchdowns.
A bad back derailed Williams' rookie season as he saw only 23 targets in 10 games. But last year's seventh overall pick is completely healthy heading into OTAs and will get the chance for a do-over. At 6-4, 218, Williams has excellent size and a massive catch radius, making him an ideal red-zone threat. Williams didn't run at the 2017 combine but turned in a 4.49 40 at his pro day. He's strong and athletic enough to make plays even when he doesn't have much separation. Another concern is the Chargers' densely packed depth chart - No. 1 target Keenan Allen finally stayed healthy, and at press time Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin are still on the team. But the Chargers didn't use such a high pick on Williams to have him sit, so he should have a chance to emerge as the team's No. 2 receiver behind Allen. Given Allen's extensive injury history, there's some upside here.
With Keenan Allen presumably coming back from his torn ACL and Tyrell Williams breaking out, the Chargers didn't necessarily need a receiver. But they took Mike Williams with the seventh overall pick anyway. At 6-4, 218 and with a huge catch radius, Williams can make plays both down the field and in the red zone. He's not especially fast -- 4.6 40 -- but given his size and ball skills he can make plays even if he doesn't separate. Williams' route running needs work, and he might not be polished enough for a huge role. There's a fair amount of targets to go around, but Williams has a lot of competition. In addition to Allen and Tyrell Williams, LAC has two capable TEs in Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry and a field-stretcher WR in Travis Benjamin. Williams sat out OTAs with mild disc herniation in his lower back and opened training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list. The Chargers still hope he'll be ready by Week 1, but his absence from practices (and possibly exhibition games) will make it tougher to earn a major role.
More Fantasy News
Has chance to play in second round
WRLos Angeles Chargers
Back
January 14, 2023
Williams (back), who won't play in Saturday's wild-card game at Jacksonville, has "an outside shot" to return in the divisional round if the Chargers advance in the postseason, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Expected to miss 2-3 weeks
WRLos Angeles Chargers
Back
January 13, 2023
Further tests have revealed that Williams suffered a small non-surgical fracture in his back and the wideout is now expected to miss two-to-three weeks, per Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Won't play Saturday
WRLos Angeles Chargers
Back
January 13, 2023
Williams (back) has been ruled out for Saturday night's playoff game against the Jaguars.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Misses practice, listed as questionable
WRLos Angeles Chargers
Back
January 12, 2023
Williams (back) is listed as questionable for Saturday's playoff opener against the Jaguars.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Not seen at practice
WRLos Angeles Chargers
Back
January 12, 2023
Williams (back) wasn't spotted during the initial portion of Thursday's practice, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.