Fantasy Football Player Notes

2022 was another year of ultimate teasing by D'Andre Swift. The Lions running back came out of the gates red hot, but got hurt. And when he returned, the Lions refused to give him the featured role in the backfield, opting to use Jamaal Williams as their goal-line battering ram instead. Swift was still uber-efficient on a per-touch basis - fourth in fantasy points per touch, third in yards per carry, 23rd in points per game and 19th in yards after contact per attempt - but the lack of touchdowns and overall touches was soul-crushing. Swift seemed to never be 100% healthy at any point during the year, which likely influenced his reduced role. With a full bill of health heading into 2023, Swift should be productive in a potential top-10 offense. But his true fantasy ceiling will likely be based on if/and when Detriot wants to feature him more as an every-down/goal-line back. Jamaal Williams and Justin Jackson are impending free agents.

How does a running back finish as the RB12 while catching only 12 passes? Touchdowns. That's exactly how the season played out for Detroit Lions running back Jamaal Williams. He took on the role as the Lions' goal-line back, carrying the ball a league-high 41 times inside the 10-yard line for 13 rushing TDs. Williams would finish the year with a league-high 17 rushing TDs - not too far off his 16.4 expected touchdowns. So although TD regression pundits will shout to the heavens that Williams cannot duplicate his 2022 success, his usage as a Lion says otherwise. If he returns to the Lions as a 2023 free agent, he should reprise his goal-line role under the same offensive coaching staff. And that will lead to more scoring which will no doubt fuel another season of solid fantasy production at a cheap price tag. His 262 carries (6th) and 16.1 touches per game (higher than D'Andre Swift's 10.3) suggest the team will be featuring plenty of Williams in 2023 should he return.