Friday afternoons are my opportunity to connect with you, the FantasyPros readers, and the FantasyPros Fantasy Football Discord users. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to join our Discord to get answers to your questions. I’ll host weekly AMAs on Fridays this year, and other analysts will also routinely answer questions. Below were three standout topics from Friday’s busy Week 2 AMA.
- Best Ball Rankings
- Best Ball Consensus ADP
- 2025 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Discord AMA Topics
Is Javonte Williams the Real Deal?
Javonte Williams was the subject of many start-or-sit questions this week. However, the broadest question from one Discord user was whether he is the real deal. The answer depends on one’s perspective of what the real deal is.
According to the data suite at Fantasy Points, Williams had 15 of Dallas’s backfield’s 19 rush attempts (78.9%) and paced the backfield in routes with 25, leading to a 71.4% route participation rate in Week 1. Williams had a bell-cow role. So, his role was the real deal.
Unfortunately, Williams’ two rushing touchdowns papered over his other underwhelming numbers. Among 50 running backs with at least four rush attempts in 2025, Williams is 21st in yards per carry (3.60), 24th in yards before contact per attempt (1.47) and 25th in yards after contact per attempt (2.13). Williams had zero explosive runs (runs of 15-plus yards) and forced zero missed tackles as a runner. He also added two receptions for 10 scoreless yards. Unless Williams’ efficiency drastically improves, he’s a touchdown-dependent, low-end RB2 or low-ceiling flex option. Gamers should strongly consider shopping him to RB-needy managers to cash out on his two-touchdown performance in Week 1.
How Should Gamers Treat Ricky Pearsall This Week?
Sadly, Brock Purdy is out, leaving Mac Jones to pick up the start this week for the 49ers. Nevertheless, Ricky Pearsall is coming off a nifty showing in Week 1. Among 102 wideouts with at least 12 routes in Week 1, Pearsall was fourth in air yards (140), fifth in air yards share (54.3%), tied for 32nd in target share (20.0%), tied for 33rd in targets per route run (0.23), 34th in first-read rate (26.1%), tied for ninth in receptions for a first down (four), eighth in yards per route run (3.48 Y/RR) and 11th in expected half-point per reception (half PPR) points (17.9) in Week 1. He parlayed his superb underlying data into four receptions for 108 receiving yards.
While Purdy to Jones is an apparent downgrade, Jones was able to lead Brian Thomas to fantasy excellence in his appearances last season. As a result, I’m not downgrading Pearsall much with Jones starting. Thus, Pearsall is a top-20 wideout in Week 2.
Is Harold Fannin a Viable TE1?
Harold Fannin was a wildly productive tight end in college. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), among 42 FBS tight ends with at least 30 targets in 2024 from this year’s NFL Draft class, Fannin was first in PFF’s receiving grade, first in targets (150), first in receptions (117), first in receiving yards (1,555), second in yards per route run (3.77 Y/RR) and first in touchdown receptions (10). Bowling Green’s offense funneled through Fannin, and Kevin Stefanski used Fannin in a variety of ways in Week 1. According to PFF, Fannin aligned once at quarterback, three times in the backfield, 29 times inline, 16 times in the slot and six times wide in Week 1.
Per the data suite at Fantasy Points, among 42 tight ends with at least 12 routes in Week 1, Fannin was 23rd in route participation rate (60.4%), sixth in air yards share (24.9%), seventh in targets per route run (0.31), tied for eighth in target share (20.0%), seventh in first-read rate (24.0%), tied for second in receptions (seven), sixth in receiving yards (63), fifth in yards per route run (2.17) and third in expected half PPR points (16.4). He was tied for the TE9 in half PPR points (10.1) and the TE6 in PPR points (13.6). Fannin was superb in Week 1, with outstanding underlying data. Gamers should treat him as a TE1 in leagues as shallow as 10-team formats.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
