The Indianapolis Colts will be without their starting running back for the Thursday night matchup against the Houston Texans, but it appears Jonathan Williams will get the start in the backfield.
Filling in for the regular starter in Marlon Mack, who has a fractured hand, Williams was stellar in relief during the Week 11 win against the Jaguars. He went off taking 13 carries for 116 yards while adding a 31-yard reception.
Despite other backs like Nyehim Hines and Jordan Wilkins likely being in the mix, the Colts are expected to treat Williams as the starter against the Texans, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Williams has been mostly a depth piece for the Colts backfield—filling in when someone goes down. When Wilkins was inactive in Week 11, Williams took advantage of his touches when Mack went out.
For fantasy football purposes, this should give managers more confidence in putting him in the starting lineup. However, a committee approach could still be utilized by Frank Reich, especially with the aforementioned Wilkins returning from an ankle injury.
It shouldn’t be expected for Williams to see 20 or more carries. That would be nice, but the Colts are contingent on spreading the wealth in the backfield. Still, there will be plenty of chances for Williams to break off a big play.
The matchup for Williams is a beautiful one. The Texans are allowing 6.6 yards per carry since J.J. Watt was lost for the season.
How the Colts truly utilize their backfield on this Thursday night remains to be seen, but it appears Williams will be the one to lead the unit at the start of the game.
