Karlos Williams' Updated Fantasy Outlook After LeSean McCoy's Injury

Between dealing with a shoulder injury and LeSean McCoy's improvement, Karlos Williams' fantasy football value has cratered in the second half of the season. Williams received a bit of a boost Sunday, but it's still a bit early to start buying the 22-year-old running back as a strong fantasy candidate again.

The Buffalo Bills announced McCoy suffered a knee injury in the team's Week 15 matchup with the Washington Redskins.

While that opened up more playing time for Williams in the short term, it may not be the case beyond Sunday. According to Pro Football Talk, McCoy's injury isn't considered to be serious, at least before he undergoes further testing.

The Bills didn't use the opportunity to give Williams a high amount of touches Sunday:

Carries	Yards	Avg.	TD	Receptions	Targets	Rec. Yards
4	41	10.3	0	0	1	0

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer (via DraftKings' Adam Levitan) reported the Bills were going to limit Williams' touches, so his unimpressive numbers aren't a surprise, nor are they a concern.

Two other factors are instead far more concerning for Williams' value the rest of this season.

Should McCoy be back for Buffalo in Week 16, Williams would be little more than a handcuff on your roster. He would unlikely see enough touches against the Dallas Cowboys to warrant consideration as even a flex in standard leagues.

In addition, Mike Gillislee is making a strong case to have a more prominent place in the offense, especially after his 60-yard touchdown run in the third quarter:

Carries	Yards	Avg.	TD	Receptions	Targets	Rec. Yards	Rec. TD
4	81	20.3	1	2	2	2	0

Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News has been impressed by Gillislee since he moved to the active roster earlier in the month:

Waiting is the best strategy for Williams looking ahead to next week. Until the extent of McCoy's injury is known, it's impossible to tell what kind of role he will have.

And with Gillislee looking better and better, Williams may have to split time with another player in Buffalo's backfield. Even if he remains the No. 3 running back in the Bills depth chart, Gillislee might be enough of a nuisance to Williams so as to limit his fantasy effectiveness.