Fantasy Alert: Broncos' Javonte Williams to Avoid PUP List amid Knee Injury Recovery

Fans might want to consider selecting Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams in upcoming fantasy drafts.

Williams, who suffered a torn ACL in October, will not start training camp on the team's physically unable to perform (PUP) list, per NFL Network's James Palmer. He could be ready for Week 1.

After undergoing knee surgery in October, Williams returned to practice in a limited capacity in May. He said earlier this month that he plans to join the team for training camp on July 25.

Given that Williams recorded 203 carries for 903 yards and four touchdowns during his 2021 rookie season and will be playing alongside veteran Samaje Perine this fall, he could be a good fantasy roster bet if healthy for the start of training camp.

Fantasy GMs who bet on Williams potentially topping 1,000 yards on the ground during his second season took a hit when the running back suffered his season-ending injury in Game 4.

They can hopefully avoid a similar situation in 2023 thanks to the signing of Perine, who will join the Broncos after three seasons as a backup to the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Mixon. Perine can potentially shoulder a larger share of the workload than Williams' previous backups, limiting his exposure to potential injury.

The Broncos have made it clear this offseason that Williams, if healthy, will be starting. Head coach Sean Payton called Williams "our current starter" in May, after Denver did not select any running backs in the draft.

"I feel real good about our group of veterans that are here in the building,'' Payton said, per ESPN's Jeff Legwold. " … Our current starter is doing extremely well. I would tell you we expect him to be ready for the start of training camp and that's good news— [that's] Javonte.''

That playing time will give Williams the opportunity to finally clear the 1,000-rushing yards plateau.

Given that he will likely need time to bounce back from his newly-repaired knee, Williams' next campaign could serve as a build-up to a further-improved 2024, when he will hopefully be fully healthy during a contract year. Nevertheless, it looks like Williams will still be a viable fantasy option for 2023.