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Duke Williams, Bills WR - Dynasty (1 Viewer)

tombonneau

tombonneau

Footballguy
So not seeing a thread on this guy? Was able to grab him in both dynasties. Zero interest apparently. Was elevated from PS last week, came in with a 4/30/1 line. Team promptly trades Zay Jones. They now have had a bye week to work him into offense. At 6'3 brings the size that Brown and Beasley lack. Played a Auburn so was solid recruit. Got in trouble for bar fight and went adrift. Didn't make the cut with Rams a few years back (no sin with that WR corp) then CFL came calling. Two seasons there then had a breakout in 2017 and hopped the border to Buffalo.

Stars could be lining up. Certainly worth a flier. I'm rolling dice with him over the Lazards all day. Guy is a starting WR (not due to injuries) you can pick up for nothing. May as well see what he's got.

Good article here.

And Google news results.

 
For what it's worth, it seems like the Bills had made the decision to trade Jones before last week's game. Jones went from starting week 4 (and playing 58 snaps) to practically not playing at all (only 1 snap).

 
[scooter] said:
For what it's worth, it seems like the Bills had made the decision to trade Jones before last week's game. Jones went from starting week 4 (and playing 58 snaps) to practically not playing at all (only 1 snap).
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Yeah figured something must have been in works if he was on a plane Monday. 

 
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D'haquille (his real name) Williams

NFL.com Combine/Draft Rank (updated March 2019)

"Duke" Williams PlayProfiler numbers/comp

In the senior's corner is tape from his only full season at AU, his junior year in 2014, in which he was just as productive and more reliable with his hands than fellow receiver Sammie Coates, who was a third-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015. But everything else will be a drag on his draft status: His lack of effort during Auburn's disappointing 3-2 start to this season, his dismissal and reputation as a bad teammate, and according to NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein, his lack of athleticism.

"He has great size, and he has very good hands and he's tough, but if you're not a good locker-room guy, and I've heard from scouts that he's a selfish player and not a good guy, then you better have a great trait like speed. He doesn't. Size isn't enough," Zierlein said. "He's not a Marcus Peters, who was a first-round pick after being kicked off his (college) team. I'll bet everything I have on that. Big wide receivers that don't get open are a dime a dozen."

Peters, a cornerback, was dismissed from the Washington Huskies last year after failing to get along with a new coaching staff. However, he recovered well enough to be picked No. 18 overall by the Kansas City Chiefs. Peters, in fact, reconciled with UW coach Chris Petersen and participated in the Huskies' pro-day event. Zierlein said two wide receivers that missed action in their last year of college and were still drafted high, Dez Bryant and Dorial Green-Beckham, avoided a draft-day disaster because they had athleticism superior to Williams'.

"I don't see enough athleticism from him to be anything more than a physical No. 2 receiver, at best, in the league," Zierlein said. "Tape says he should be drafted inside the first four rounds, maybe the first three, but his character and athleticism are going to probably make him a third-day guy (rounds 4-7). And if the Auburn staff can't support his character when scouts ask about it, he might not even get picked. As long as what he did to get kicked off isn't criminal, he should go third day, but he's really hurt himself."
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after bouncing around multiple practice squads

Former Auburn Star Wide Receiver "Duke" Williams Is Looking for a Fresh Start in the NFL (8:45 minute video) - Apr 25, 2016

Ex-Auburn receiver "Duke" Williams is making a name for himself in the CFL - 2018

Buffalo Fanatics breaks down "Duke" Williams - October 5, 2019

 
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What do we think today?

I think this could be a coming out party for the entire Bills offense, with Williams leading the way.

 
I'll move this over from the  *WAIVER WIRE PICK-UPS AFTER WEEK 5* thread:

Posted October 10

  On 10/6/2019 at 4:35 PM, Joe Summer said:

Duke Williams, Buffalo WR.

Just signed off the practice squad and he's already got 4 catches and a TD today.
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I'm all over this.  Half supported by what I have seen and I'll admit half hunch. Snagged him in all my leagues except for two short bench leagues.  However I believe I was the only buyer.  The little I know is enough to have looked for him where I have a spot at the end of my bench.  And there are certainly negatives against him - he is old for a rookie at 26. 

I'm not going to do a deep dive - I"m not qualified to. 

So I'll just say that he was 5-Star rated by Rivals out of high school. 

He has good size listed at 6'3" and 225 (CBSSports)

Wandered a bit.

2014 he was listed as the  No. 1 junior college prospect

2014 ended up at Auburn where he exploded in his first game for 9-154-1in his first game.

2015 he wa dismissed early-season from the team for violating some team rule - I saw one report that it was a bar fight. 

2016 signed by the NFL's Rams where he made it to final cuts.

2017 signed with the  CFL in 2017 where he had moderate success

2018 led the CFL in yards receiving.

2018 granted his release to pursue his NFL dream.

Clearly he didn't cut it the first time around as he was sent to the practice squad. 

Most of this data is from fusing data from wikipedia and forbes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Williams_(wide_receiver

https://www.forbes.com/sites/curtisrush/2019/10/07/duke-williams-may-be-the-answer-to-buffalo-bills-stagnant-passing-attack/#1184d0c547b7

So we've got a guy here who I'd say has some clear talent, size andspeed. Based upon the on the forbes.com clip, my untrained eyes say that he seems to have soft, sure hands and a knack for catching the ball in tight coverage and difficult spots.  But he has traveled a rough road to get to the NFL at age 26. But he's got a little bit of pedigree being rated 5 Star by Rivals.  He's shown in junior college and in the CFL. Now here we are not even mid-season, Buffalo isn't getting the production they need from the wr corps.  Robert Foster is often injured. Cole Beasely and John Brown are both smaller wrs.  And he gets called up. In his first game he gets 4 targets, including in the redzone and pulls all 4 down.  Then. Zay Jones gets traded. I read but cannot find the reference now that his route running is rough.  But he must be improving there for the Bills to call him up, right?  Right?

I like the drive he has shown to get to this point . I get the sense that this guy has matured and is focused on making good of himself now and believe there is an opportunity for him to ascend to be one of Buffalo's top two wrs.. And I think Buffalo provides a great place for him the strong armed Allen behind center. 

 
[scooter] said:
What do we think today?

I think this could be a coming out party for the entire Bills offense, with Williams leading the way.
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I gulped (not a very big gulp considering the other player) and started him over Corey Davis.  I am also starting him in 2 or 3 other leagues where I only had waiver wire fodder calibre players available.

 
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https://forums.footballguys.com/forum/topic/781127-waiver-wire-pick-ups-after-week-6/?do=findComment&comment=22228497
 

Don Hutson
Posted October 14 (edited)

Duke Williams looks great in his youtube highlight videos.  He might have been an NFL star caliber player playing in the CFL.  He is 26 years old and looks polished.  And beastly.  He will be a force in the red zone.  He has 3 touchdowns done in very few snaps between the preseason and regular season.  He played 78% of snaps yesterday and he will probably continue to get that percentage of snaps.  And Josh Allen looks like he might be fantasy friendly to his wide receivers.

2017 Edmonton Eskimos Highlights

2018 Edmonton Eskimo Highlights

2019 Preseason Highlights

Week 5 Highlights
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Phantom Knight said:
I gulped (not a very big gulp considering the other player) and started him over Corey Davis.  I am also starting him in 2 or 3 other leagues where I only had waiver wire fodder calibre players available.
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I almost joined you but I'm playing Hunter Henry in flex instead. I own in both dynasties so if he has a big game in happy either way. Would like to see fully integrated usage first before playing him. 

 
tombonneau said:
Phantom Knight said:
I gulped (not a very big gulp considering the other player) and started him over Corey Davis.  I am also starting him in 2 or 3 other leagues where I only had waiver wire fodder calibre players available.
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I almost joined you but I'm playing Hunter Henry in flex instead. I own in both dynasties so if he has a big game in happy either way. Would like to see fully integrated usage first before playing him. 
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Snap counts, Week 5:

Duke Williams: 56 (including 6 on Special Teams)

John Brown: 52

Cole Beasley: 41

Is that not integrated enough for you?

 
[scooter] said:
Snap counts, Week 5:

Duke Williams: 56 (including 6 on Special Teams)

John Brown: 52

Cole Beasley: 41

Is that not integrated enough for you?
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Love the snap count and fact he's starting. I'm more talking about where he is in pecking order. Josh Allens number 3 option doesn't exactly excite me. But if starts to look more like 1a/1b then I'm much more interested. 

 
tombonneau said:
[scooter] said:
Snap counts, Week 5:

Duke Williams: 56 (including 6 on Special Teams)

John Brown: 52

Cole Beasley: 41

Is that not integrated enough for you?
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Love the snap count and fact he's starting. I'm more talking about where he is in pecking order. Josh Allens number 3 option doesn't exactly excite me.
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Targets, Week 5:

Brown: 5
Williams: 4
Beasley: 3
 

Williams is making a strong case as being WR1a on this offense.

 
[scooter] said:
Targets, Week 5:

Brown: 5
Williams: 4
Beasley: 3
 

Williams is making a strong case as being WR1a on this offense.
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Although just a one week sample, the path to being WR1 or WR2 sure looks direct and open to me.  If he and Josh are able to get sync'ed on the long ball, we've got something.

 
conlilnew said:
I think wall of us that are chasing his pts today from last week are going to end up being disappointed. 
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It wasn't chasing for me, I'm making the same read I did with Diontae Johnson. Guy could be the starting Y receiver and play 75%+ of the snaps. Plus, he was in a really good spot IF Josh Allen could look like a competent QB.

 
Well, Sir Duke Williams, this is not going according to plan. 

I am not yet ready to believe that last week was just a one-week anomaly...but sure regretting starting you in so many leagues.

 
Williams, who suffered a shoulder injury during Sunday's win over Miami but returned a few plays later, was taken for X-rays following the game, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

The rookie may not be out of the woods yet, so at the latest we'll get an update when the Bills resume practicing mid-week, though a report Monday would seem likelier. Williams was only targeted once Sunday, reeling in a 23-yard pass from Josh Allen, though he's seemingly worked his way into the third receiver role if the injury turns out to be minor. The fact that he returned to action Sunday may make that a better possibility.
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https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/bills-duke-williams-tests-taken-after-game/

In redraft probably a drop. Beasley definitely ran ahead of him and Knox seemed to be more of a target for Josh Allen.

 
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The Frankman said:
Beasley definitely ran ahead of him
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Duke Williams was in on most plays to begin the game.  Since Cole Beasley ended up with 55% of snaps and Williams ended up 53.6% of snaps, it's safe to assume that Williams would have ended up with more snaps than Beasley if he hadn't gotten hurt.

Does anyone have a free source that shows which players played snap-by-snap?  A source where I could go through snap-by-snap and figure that Duke Williams played on snaps 1,2,3,5,6,8,10 etc.?

 
Duke Williams caught 4-of-10 targets for 49 yards in the Bills' Wild Card loss to the Texans.

He led the team in targets in the loss. Williams was signed out of the CFL and appeared in four regular-season games, producing a 6-108 line on 12 targets in the finale before emerging as the clear-cut No. 3 wideout for the playoff loss. Williams is out there for his blocking and red-zone presence at 6'3/225. He won't be guaranteed a regular role for the 2020 campaign.
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