We are proud to be among the first, if not the first, to publish full projections for the upcoming season, going live just days after the Super Bowl. Publishing detailed projections in early February comes with trade-offs, not the least of which is a near-total lack of clarity on how free agency, cap transactions, and the NFL draft will reshape rosters.
We've been updating our projections in near real time, including during the recent onslaught of free-agent transactions. This version will remain largely stable until we can layer in the April NFL draft, but stable projections don't mean settled debates.
We have a staff of sharp analysts with sharp takes of their own, so I thought it would be worthwhile to solicit their views on the key coin-toss situations that will shape each team's outlook in the coming months. These are important questions where reasonable, informed people can credibly land in very different places. I asked my colleagues to weigh in with one assumption: they were answering strictly through the lens of a standard 0.5-PPR redraft league.
Detroit Lions Coin-Toss Questions
- Is Detroit still a fantasy-rich offense?
- Is Pacheco a target, just a handcuff, or a player to avoid?
- Will LaPorta bounce back? Where should he be ranked?
- Is Williams a Top-25 fantasy receiver?
Are you on board with Jameson Williams as a Top-25 fantasy receiver? Or do you think his role could be impacted by growth from Isaac TeSlaa and a returning Sam LaPorta?
Sigmund Bloom: 100% on board. Williams was a top-12 fantasy wide receiver after Campbell took over play-calling. Campbell was far from alone in his assessment that Williams wasn't being used enough or in the best way in Morton's offense. If TeSlaa and LaPorta are healthy and effective, that only increases the big play possibilities because safeties will have more to think about in coverage.
Maurile Tremblay: I'm fully on board with Williams as a top-25 receiver. The most important data point in the entire Williams discussion is what happened when Campbell took over play-calling in Week 10. From Weeks 10 through 17, the offense jumped from 16th to 2nd in explosive play rate and from 18th to 6th in play-action rate. Campbell assumed those duties in part to get Williams more involved. Williams was producing top-12 numbers in the back half of the season, so his upside is obvious. I agree with Sigmund that TeSlaa and LaPorta won't detract from Williams' production. The problem in 2025 wasn't that there were too many mouths to feed; it was that the scheme wasn't feeding anyone effectively. A functional three-receiver set with TeSlaa drawing attention and LaPorta commanding safety help should create more favorable coverage shells for Williams on the outside.
Meng Song: I think top-25 is reasonable for Jameson Williams. Even with LaPorta healthy in 2024, Williams was the WR20 in 0.5 PPR points per game, and Jared Goff has been able to connect with him in spite of declining offensive line play.
Andy Hicks: Jameson Williams has back-to-back top-10 fantasy receiver finishes with seven touchdowns and over a thousand yards in both years, so the top 25 is hardly a stretch. Williams depends on big plays to make his numbers, with only Alec Pierce and Tee Higgins having fewer targets among the top 20 fantasy receivers. TeSlaa caught 16 balls in his rookie campaign, with an obscenely high percentage going for his six touchdowns. Both Williams and TeSlaa have numbers difficult to replicate, but Williams has already done it once. I would not be concerned about LaPorta. Williams had to contend with the tight end in 2024, and that was his breakout season. Ultimately, Williams remains a strong bet to finish inside the top 25, even as TeSlaa develops and claims a larger share of the Lions' offensive workload. Top 10? His chances are not as good.
Jeff Haseley: I'm still a believer in Williams, but top 25 is a stretch. With Isaac TeSlaa emerging as a reliable target and LaPorta returning, Jameson is more of a WR3 with massive upside. He's reached the label of boom-or-bust king.
