Williams rushed five times for 12 yards and secured all four targets for 29 yards in the Broncos' 26-7 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday. He also lost a fumble. Williams' rushing line underscores how running room was at a premium despite the fact the Buccaneers' front was operating without Vita Vea (knee). He also fumbled at Tampa Bay's 35-yard line late in the first half, a play that was reversed after Williams was initially ruled down by contact. The turnover would go on to lead to the Bucs' only touchdown, and Williams recorded only three touches the rest of the game while Tyler Badie took on an expanded role with effectiveness (nine carries, 70 yards). It remains to be seen what the backfield pecking order will be for a Week 4 road matchup against the Jets, but Williams now has gained just 52 yards on 24 carries over his first three games.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Javonte Williams news
Career History
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DraftKings points 9.1FanDuel Points 7.5ATT 8.6TD 0.2RUSH YDS 23.0LNG 9.2REC 3.0REC TD 0.0REC YDS 19.6AVG 6.5RAC 22.5CBSS fantasy points 5.5ESPN fantasy points 5.5Yahoo fantasy points 7.0
Pregame Probabilities
Expected to run >100 RYDS2% -
Full season projectionsATT 149.5TD 2.8RUSH YDS 633.2LNG 22.0REC 44.6REC YDS 249.7AVG 5.6
Williams rushed five times for 12 yards and secured all four targets for 29 yards in the Broncos' 26-7 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday. He also lost a fumble. Williams' rushing line underscores how running room was at a premium despite the fact the Buccaneers' front was operating without Vita Vea (knee). He also fumbled at Tampa Bay's 35-yard line late in the first half, a play that was reversed after Williams was initially ruled down by contact. The turnover would go on to lead to the Bucs' only touchdown, and Williams recorded only three touches the rest of the game while Tyler Badie took on an expanded role with effectiveness (nine carries, 70 yards). It remains to be seen what the backfield pecking order will be for a Week 4 road matchup against the Jets, but Williams now has gained just 52 yards on 24 carries over his first three games.
Williams rushed the ball 11 times for 17 yards in Sunday's 13-6 loss to the Steelers. He added five receptions on five targets for 48 yards. Williams operated as the clear lead back for Denver, but he found no room to run against the stout Steelers defense. He made up for that as a dump-off target for Bo Nix, with the highlights of his day coming on 14 and 13-yard receptions in the fourth quarter. Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin should both have substantial roles out of the backfield moving forward, though the offense's lack of effectiveness is likely to prevent big performances from either in the short term.
Williams rushed eight times for 23 yards and caught one of two targets for no gain in Sunday's 26-20 loss to the Seahawks. Williams was out-touched by fellow running back Jaleel McLaughlin (15 touches for 24 yards) as neither back stood out against last year's 31st-ranked rushing defense. The 2021 second-round pick was involved on all three of Denver's opening plays Sunday, but the end result was a poor fantasy day. Williams should remain a significant part of the Broncos' backfield committee as the team hunts for its first victory against the Steelers next Sunday.
Williams rushed three times for 17 yards and caught his only target for 15 yards in Sunday's 27-2 preseason win over the Packers. Williams also had a would-be 14-yard touchdown catch on the opening drive wiped out by an illegal forward pass penalty on rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Denver's offense has moved the ball well with Nix under center in the preseason, which bodes well for Williams' outlook heading into the regular season. Williams has started the Broncos' first two preseason games, but it remains to be seen if the starting running back will get any usage in next Sunday's preseason finale against the Cardinals.
Williams rushed four times for 15 yards and caught one of his two targets for five yards in Sunday's 34-30 preseason win over the Colts. Williams played just nine snaps as the starter in the Broncos' first preseason game. The veteran running back was unable to get much going with such little playing time, but his limited usage in the opener should hint at his secure spot atop the depth chart ahead of Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estime. Williams continues to receive high praise from the Denver coaching staff while his surgically repaired knee could be stronger than it was in a disappointing 2023 season. The 24-year-old also lost weight this offseason in an attempt to improve his conditioning, which could help him to get back to the form of his impressive rookie season.
Williams is warming up to play with the first-team offense in Denver's preseason opener versus Indianapolis on Sunday, Ryan McFadden of The Denver Post reports. The Broncos are set to play most of their starters Sunday, though Williams is unlikely to see the field for more than a series or two. The running back is poised to lead Denver's backfield in 2024 after tallying 774 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 217 attempts along with 228 receiving yards and two scores on 47 catches across 16 regular-season contests last year. Williams reportedly lost weight in the offseason in an effort to improve his conditioning.
Head coach Sean Payton noted that Williams " looked real sharp" at practice Wednesday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports. Payton added that Williams has lost some weight since last season, and Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com relays that the running back currently checks in at around 220 or 221 pounds. Per Troy Renck of Denver 7 News, Williams sought to trim down this offseason based on feedback from Payton, and the 2021 second-round pick's apparent improvements in conditioning can only help him maintain his perch atop a Broncos backfield depth chart that also includes Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime.