Upside - by Colin Dowling

There are a few players in the league that are worth watching, individually, from the moment they line up on the field to the moment the play is over. You never know when they’re going to do something that is replayed on Sports Center ten times that night. Maybe they catch the ball behind their back, or carry four defenders on their back for ten yards or something similarly amazing. Roy Williams is one such player. There may be some who argue that Joey Harrington’s inconsistency coupled with the presence of Marcus Pollard, Charles Rogers, and Mike Williams will take too many looks away from the Legend. I say, “no way.”

First, let’s address Harrington. He’s been floundering between bad and mediocre for three years. At this juncture, neither Coach Mooch nor Matt Millen can afford another sub-.500 season if they hope to keep the confidence of the team, the fans, and the Ford family. In other words, I expect Harrington’s leash to be plenty short, and Jeff Garcia is an able replacement if needed. As for the competition, I’d encourage fantasy players not to get too scared of monsters under the bed. Rogers has yet to prove he’s at full strength nor has he demonstrated that he can stay that way. Mike Williams is a rookie who won’t have caught a pass in 19 months when the season starts. As for Pollard, I’m not all that concerned about an aging tight end brought in for leadership and blocking is going to adversely affect a playmaker’s impact on the field.

Draft Williams with confidence this season….just don’t take your eyes off of him when he’s on the field. You never know what you might miss.

Downside - by Cathy Fazio

Roy Williams was extremely impressive in his rookie outing with his 54 receptions for 817 yards and eight touchdowns. Fantasy owners will certainly be tempted to look at his 2004 performance and expect even bigger and better things of him in 2005. But keep in mind that Roy Williams was really the only viable receiving threat for the Lions last year after Charles Rogers was lost with a broken collarbone during the first game. After Williams, the very inconsistent Az-Zahir Hakim was the second leading receiver for the Lions in 2004 with 31 receptions for 533 yards. But Rogers will be back this season and if he can last a season without again breaking his collarbone, he will be a vital part of the Lions’ passing game.

The Lions have also significantly upgraded the rest of their receiving corps giving Joey Harrington more passing options with the addition of veteran Kevin Johnson who performs very well in the role of slot receiver. And the drafted wide receiver Mike Williams is poised to make an impact on the field as well. The other drawback to Roy Williams has to be considered Joey Harrington. Harrington lacks the confidence and that keeps him out of the ranks of the elite NFL quarterbacks. This in turn adversely impacts his receivers. Roy Williams certainly has potential, but it is more as a solid number two receiver on a fantasy team rather than a receiver to build a team around.