Fantasy Football: Has Mike Williams Become a Fantasy Super Sleeper?

Mike Williams fell to the fourth round in the 2010 NFL draft amid some controversy, though it certainly wasn’t centered around his on the field talent.  Off the field issues have plagued him the past two years, causing teams to shy away from taking the risk.

The problems are pretty obvious—

• He missed the entire 2008 season after Syracuse University suspended him for academic reasons
• Last season, after being involved in a car accident and facing another suspension, he upped and quit the team

Seen as a potential first round talent, these character issues caused him to plummet down draft boards, ultimately being the 101st player selected.  For a team in desperate need for impact receivers, it was a gamble well worth taking.

Williams was quoted in the St. Petersburg Times (click here for the article), in regards to concerns of him being a quitter, as saying—

“If I was a quitter, when I got suspended because of my grades, I would’ve quit Syracuse then. That’s not a word that I even use.”

He sold the Buccaneers, who have quickly seen positive returns.  He has already begun working with the first team offense, apparently jumping over fellow rookie (and second round pick) Arrelious Benn, as well as everyone else on the depth chart.

Not only that, according to Yahoo’s Jason Cole (click here for the article), Williams has “earned the trust of Freeman.”  Of course, the Freeman questioned is starting quarterback Josh Freeman.

Cole also notes that, “Since being drafted, Williams has spent the offseason learning the offense and working constantly with Freeman. Off days were spent catching passes, and the first day of training camp featured some overtime when Williams wanted to perfect his slant-and-go route with a couple of extra throws.”

He has the talent and it certainly appears that he has a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove.  He’s still a risk, but he has become one that fantasy owners should want to take late in drafts (his current ADP, according to Mock Draft Central, is 271.61, though that’s likely to trend up).  As a depth option, he has the potential to put up huge numbers, so take the flier in all formats.

What are your thoughts on Williams?  Is he someone you want to draft?  How good do you think he could be?

Make sure to check out Rotoprofessor’s 2010 rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 60 Wide Receivers
• Top 20 Tight Ends
• Top 15 Kickers

Also, make sure to check out our recent rookie rankings:

• Top 5 Rookie RB
• Top 5 Rookie QB
• Top 5 Rookie WR
• Top 3 Rookie TE

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM/FOOTBALL