Fantasy Football: 5 Bounce-Back Candidates for 2018

Tyrell Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

After a breakout 2016 campaign, Tyrell Williams did not enjoy himself quite so much last season. He saw 50 fewer targets than the 119 he garnered in 2016 and finished with 43 receptions for 728 yards and 4 touchdowns. After a 69-catch, 1,059-yard season the year before, this was quite a disappointment for him and fantasy owners alike.

His WR43 finish doesn't do his per-target efficiency justice, however. In terms of Target NEP per target, he was 19th out of the 85 wide receivers to see at least 50 targets, while only 22 players had a higher Reception NEP per target than his 0.77 mark.

There are several factors that make Williams an intriguing candidate for a bounce-back heading into the 2018 season. After relying heavily on two tight end formations in 2017 (the Los Angeles Chargers were in 12 personnel on 22% of their offensive snaps last season, with league average at 19%), the injury to Hunter Henry and the absence of any real star at the tight end position should see the Chargers use three wide receiver sets more often in 2018.

With Henry sidelined and Antonio Gates gone, that opens up a lot more opportunities in the red zone for players like Williams. He saw a single red zone target last season, after notching 10 in 2016. Henry and Gates saw 23 such targets.

The presence of Keenan Allen makes it unlikely that Williams will become a fantasy superstar, but I wouldn't be stunned if he were a lot closer to the WR18 spot he occupied in 2016 than the WR43 he managed a year ago.