Should I start DK Metcalf or Javonte Williams in Week 8?

Where the draft room stands

Live drafts hold no current pick on DK Metcalf, and the board ranks him 36th overall on the rest of his evidence.

Live drafts hold no current pick on Javonte Williams, and the board ranks him 37th overall on the rest of his evidence.

The market-based projections

The market-based projection for DK Metcalf is 5.8 PPR points a game off 1 market across 2 market sources. That is 30 percent of what a wide receiver's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.

The market-based projection for Javonte Williams is 6.9 PPR points a game off 1 market across 7 market sources. That is 30 percent of what a running back's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.

DK Metcalf's projection is not complete, so the two figures are not set against each other here.

This season through Week 7

Through Week 7, DK Metcalf has been on the field for 95 percent of PIT snaps, drawn 24 percent of the targets and had 9 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 19 of the offence's 58 third down targets, had 1 of its 7 chances inside the five and seen 5 of its 41 two minute targets.

His 58 targets have averaged 12.7 air yards.

In Week 5 against IND he carried 1 time for 11 yards, caught 3 of 4 targets for 12 yards and did not score.

In Week 6 against TB he caught 11 of 15 targets for 93 yards and did not score.

In Week 7 against NO he caught 2 of 6 targets for 56 yards and did not score.

Through Week 7, Javonte Williams has been on the field for 75 percent of DAL snaps, taken 69 percent of the carries, drawn 8 percent of the targets and had 40 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 4 of the offence's 63 third down targets, had 17 of its 26 chances inside the five and seen 3 of its 48 two minute targets.

His 22 targets have come 1.6 yards behind the line of scrimmage on average.

In Week 5 against TB he carried 12 times for 45 yards, caught 2 of 3 targets for 17 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

In Week 6 against GB he carried 11 times for 41 yards, caught 2 of 2 targets for 9 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

In Week 7 against PHI he carried 25 times for 155 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 DK Metcalf played 15 games and scored 187.2 PPR points, 12.5 a game, finishing WR26.

He caught 59 of 99 targets for 850 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 13 red zone targets.

That came to 6.6 targets a game, a 60 percent catch rate and 14.4 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 87 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

In 2025 Javonte Williams played 16 games and scored 242.8 PPR points, 15.2 a game, finishing RB12.

He carried 252 times for 1201 yards and 11 touchdowns, and caught 35 of 51 targets for 137 more yards.

That came to 15.8 carries a game at 4.8 yards a carry and 2.2 catches a game.

He was on the field for 68 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

Javonte Williams was available for 1 game more.

Side by side

In 2025 Javonte Williams scored 15.2 PPR points a game and DK Metcalf 12.5, 2.7 a game between them.

DK Metcalf finished WR26 and Javonte Williams RB12, which are two different ladders.

DK Metcalf is a wide receiver and Javonte Williams a running back, so the question is which slot you fill first rather than which of them is better.

Byes and availability

DK Metcalf is off in Week 9 and Javonte Williams in Week 14, so either can cover the other's bye.