Joe Burrow vs Jameson Williams

“Lamar Jackson , Jayden Daniels , Joe Burrow , Baker Mayfield , and Kyler Murray all were selected as top-12 players at the position and finished double-digit slots behind expectations in terms of points per game.”

“Round 1: Joe Burrow (QB – CIN) To kick things off at No. 4 overall, I went with Joe Burrow .”

“Even with a modest target share, Higgins maximizes his opportunities in one of the NFL’s premier passing offenses led by Joe Burrow .”

“The pivot to more under-center passing won’t be as natural and certainly might not be anywhere near as successful for the Bengals, because Burrow clearly isn’t as comfortable and doesn’t perform as well. In fact, if we go back the last three years, Burrow’s under-center dropbacks average just 3.6 air yards, which ranked dead last: #69 out of 69 qualifying QBs. His time to throw of 2.81 seconds was the #5 fastest out of 69 QBs, and he threw just 17% of passes 10+ yards downfield, also ranking dead last.”

“Zac Taylor wants the Bengals to play more from under center in 2026. Unfortunately, Joe Burrow under center is precisely where this offense struggles most, which is why the Bengals haven't used it often of late. How much the Bengals choose to pivot to under-center passing and how much Burrow can improve on these dropbacks might have a large impact on their fortunes in 2026.”

“Overvalued: Joe Burrow, Quarterback (QB4, Pick 59 OVR) Now, this isn’t to say that I don’t like Joe Burrow, or that I don’t think that Joe Burrow is a talented player; I just think that Joe Burrow is capped insofar as he doesn’t rush at all, and the Bengals’ offensive line isn’t strong enough for him to be a consistent top-four player without the rushing.”

“Of the top-10 quarterbacks based on LTV, Burrow is the one quarterback with little to no rushing upside, making him the quarterback I would want to trade away.”

“Burrow was once again impactful when on the field, completing 66.8% of his passes for a 6.6% touchdown rate. Burrow is the only quarterback with a touchdown rate of 6% or higher in each of the past two seasons.”

“Despite finishing the season as the QB29 last season due to missed games, Burrow finished the season red hot. Through the final six weeks of 2025, Burrow was on pace for 4500+ passing yards and 43 passing TDs. Since 2023, Burrow in Week 1 has been atrocious.”

“Over the last four seasons, Burrow has established himself as one of the NFL's premier fantasy quarterbacks even without the rushing upside of the Allen/Lamar types. He finished as the overall QB3 or better for 14 weeks in that span. What's wild is he missed 17 games in that span!”

“Joe Burrow's health has been the biggest hurdle for this team in recent seasons. If he remains healthy, Burrow will put up MVP numbers, and the Bengals will be in the thick of the playoff hunt in a loaded AFC field of contenders.”

“Seeing Joe Burrow go ahead of quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Drake Maye is quite shocking, but Burrow is firmly going as the QB2 on Fantrax. If Burrow were to have another season like 2024, with 45 total touchdowns and almost 5,000 passing yards, he would be worthy of this selection. But we also have to consider the possibility of a repeat of his 2025 season, in which Burrow played only eight games and threw 17 passing touchdowns while finishing with fewer than 2,000 yards in half a season.”

“Jameson Williams is always electrifying to watch, and he’s coming off a season where he caught 65 passes for 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns.”

“Jameson Williams is one of the most volatile wideouts in fantasy. Think back to the beginning of last season, when he gave you dud after dud, making you consider benching him, only to watch him go off in the one time you didn’t start him.”

“Jameson Williams (WR – DET) Anyone who plays in best ball fantasy football leagues loves the thought of drafting Williams. The former Alabama star is one of the most dangerous players in the NFL when at his best and can score a touchdown on nearly any play.”

“Jameson Williams (DET) – ADP 61.9 | WR25 Last season, Williams quietly finished as the WR12, showing what a down year it was at the wide receiver position.”

“What about the WRs? It seems like Jameson Williams is a point of conversation every year, and this year is no different. 2025 was kind of weird for him.”

“Detroit WR Jameson Williams received an honorable mention on this list: “He can fly and is slippery. His speed opens up intermediate cuts.”

“Furthermore, Williams was hard to trust every week, scoring 6.6 or fewer fantasy points in 41.2% of the games, including zero twice. Fantasy players should avoid drafting the former Alabama star at his current fifth-round and WR24 ADP and target a pass catcher with less volatility.”

“Detroit is excited about WR Jameson Williams' trajectory after showing "effort and engagement" during OTAs and developing as a route runner.”

“With a new offensive play caller and a healthy LaPorta expected to reclaim a significant role, Erickson believes Williams could return to being a volatile weekly option. The concern is the inconsistency that comes with relying on big plays and fluctuating target volume.”

“Williams caught fire late last season after Detroit changed play callers and injuries shifted additional targets his way. Specifically, Erickson pointed to the absence of Sam LaPorta as one of the biggest reasons Williams' role expanded. Those conditions have changed.”

“Williams had the best season of his career and has now strung together two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Williams is the WR25 in ADP, a rank he has solidly beaten over the last two seasons, as he finished WR19 in 2024.”

“The Lions also hired Drew Petzing as the offensive coordinator after he spent the last three seasons in Arizona. This could create another hurdle for consistency, especially when the offense already features Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and LaPorta. Unfortunately, it's likely Williams.”