Duke

Williams

The Bills also placed guard Forrest Lamp on injured reserve, freeing up two spots for them to sign running back Kerrith Whyte and defensive back Tim Harris. Williams has bounced between Buffalo’s practice squad and active roster multiple times since signing with the team in 2019. He made one appearance for the Bills last year but did not record any stats. Williams is a candidate to sign with the Bills’ practice squad if he can get healthy.

Williams won’t be thrown to the wolves for 10 Wild Card targets again, but his presence does hint that both Stefon Diggs (oblique) and Cole Beasley (knee) could be limited if active for Saturday’s Wild Card game. It’s something to monitor in the morning as both players were limited for Thursday’s practice.

Injuries handed Williams a role down the stretch of the 2019 season, culminating in a ridiculous 10 Wild Card targets. The Bills got much deeper at wideout this offseason. They will presumably try to stash Williams on this year’s expanded practice squad.

Williams actually led the Bills in targets (10) in their Wild Card playoff loss to the Texans after he emerged as the No. 3 receiver late in the season behind John Brown and Cole Beasley. But following the trade for Stefon Diggs and selections of Gabriel Davis (fourth round) and Isaiah Hodgins (sixth round) in April, Williams and Foster face uphill battles to make the team. Andre Roberts is locked in as the return man, so that’s already six wideouts. Backup slot man Isaiah McKenzie was also re-signed this offseason. Williams and Foster should both garner interest on the open market if they are let go by the Bills.

He led the team in targets in the loss. Williams was signed out of the CFL and appeared in four regular-season games, producing a 6-108 line on 12 targets in the finale before emerging as the clear-cut No. 3 wideout for the playoff loss. Williams is out there for his blocking and red-zone presence at 6'3/225. He won’t be guaranteed a regular role for the 2020 campaign.

Williams is week to week, which opens up a starting spot. That starter may be fan-favorite Robert Foster, who is officially active this week. Expect John Brown and Cole Beasley to lead the way in terms of usage while the Bills No. 3 sees a handful of looks.

The No. 3 WR position in Buffalo remains murky in the post-Zay Jones era. Duke Williams (shoulder) is banged up, while Isaiah McKenzie and Andre Roberts have also seen plenty of snaps in recent weeks. Robert Foster was a healthy scratch in Week 7. We wouldn’t count on Josh Allen enabling more than John Brown and Cole Beasley as consistent fantasy options among the offense’s WRs, particularly while the group continues to split snaps.

Williams was making his debut after getting promoted from the practice squad. He was thrust into an immediate role, playing just two fewer snaps than John Brown. Williams scored on a red-zone pass from Josh Allen out of play-action in the fourth quarter for what ended up being the game-winning touchdown. A former five-star JuCo recruit that led the CFL in receiving last year, Williams is worth a Dynasty flyer even with Buffalo on a bye in Week 6.

Williams had a strong camp and was believed to be in serious contention for a roster spot because of his size (6'3/225) which has shown up in the red zone and as a blocker for the run-oriented Bills. 26-year-old Williams was signed out of the CFL this offseason after leading the league in receiving with an 88-1,579-11 line for Edmonton in 2018.

Williams was one of the standouts of Buffalo’s second preseason game, catching 3-of-4 targets for 38 yards and a touchdown. Signed to a reserve/future deal after leading the CFL in receiving last year, Williams is making a push for a roster spot on a shallow depth chart. Williams has a chance to open the year as Buffalo’s No. 5 receiver.