Davante Adams – 2021 #3 Dynasty Wide Receiver
#17 Davante Adams, GB
bio:
Davante Adams is IDPE’s #3 dynasty WR in 2021. Drafted by Green Bay in the 2nd round (#53 overall) out of Fresno State in the 2014 draft. 1st-team All-Pro in 2020, somehow the first of his career.
attributes:
An 8th-year possession receiver, he is a strong route runner and excels after the catch. He has good size and athleticism, though he has slightly below average long speed. Adams has an above-average College Prospect Score (CPS).
| Age* | Height | Weight | 40 | Vertical | Broad | CPS |
| 28.7 | 6’1″ | 215 | 4.56 | 39.5″ | 10’3″ | 4.7 |
player grades:
Adams graded out as the #1 wide receiver out of 127 qualified players in 2020, per PFF.com. He has been consistently good for several years but played at a truly elite level in 2020.
| Year | Overall | Receiving | Rushing |
| 2016 | 70.2 | 69.8 | – |
| 2017 | 80.5 | 79.4 | – |
| 2018 | 87.8 | 87.5 | – |
| 2019 | 83.5 | 84.4 | – |
| 2020 | 92.2 | 92.2 | – |
injury:
He missed one game in 2018 due to a knee sprain, four games in 2019 due to a toe sprain, and two games in 2020 due to a hamstring strain.
receiving:
Adams had 149 targets (#4), 115 receptions (#3), 1374 yards (#5) and 18 touchdowns (#1) in 2020. He had a down year in 2019, but his toe injury lingered beyond the four games he missed.
He has averaged 103 receptions and 1252 yards over the last three seasons. Therefore, he has a high floor in fantasy. He has also averaged 12 touchdowns over the same stretch, giving him an elite ceiling in fantasy.
| Year | Rec | Yards | TD | TReFP* | Games | ReFP/G** | A4GM*** |
| 2018 | 111 | 1386 | 13 | 272.1 | 15 | 18.1 | 290 |
| 2019 | 83 | 997 | 5 | 171.2 | 12 | 14.3 | 228 |
| 2020 | 115 | 1374 | 18 | 302.9 | 14 | 21.6 | 346 |
**ReFP/G is Receiving Fantasy Points per Game
***A4GM is Adjusted for Games Missed
Note: Fantasy Points based on 1/2 point PPR
strength of schedule:
Green Bay has the 3rd most difficult schedule for WR in 2021, per PFF. The bye week is Week 13 and the most difficult matchup in Week 12. NYJ, NYG, Las Vegas, and Detroit WRs currently look like solid options if you want to stream based on WR matchup those weeks.
contract:
Adams signed a four-year, $58 mil contract with Green Bay in 2018. He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2022; he will be 30 years old.
summary:
Davante Adams is an elite receiver both in real life and in fantasy. Of course, the elephant in the room is the Aaron Rodgers drama that unfolded before the draft. If Rodgers is not playing quarterback for Green Bay in 2021, this could have a disastrous impact on Adams’s fantasy value.
I don’t believe that Jordan Love will be the GB starting QB in 2021, even if Rodgers is no longer with the team. Love was not a good prospect out of Utah State in 2020, making the GB move to trade up into the first round a real head-scratcher. All signs point toward the fact that the GB coaching staff does NOT believe that Love is ready to start.
If GB decided to trade Rodgers, a veteran QB will likely be brought in (maybe Garoppolo) as a bridge QB. So long as Love is not the starter and GB brings in a veteran starter, Davante Adams should be okay. However, his upside will take a hit because his touchdown numbers will decrease significantly. There is also the possibility that Adams follows Rodgers wherever he ends up in 2022 since he will be a free agent.
If Rodgers is the GB QB in 2021, expect Adams to compete for the overall #1 WR in 2021 and Top 5 dynasty WR for 2022. If Rodger is NOT the GB QB in 2021, expect Adams to compete for a Top 5 WR finish in 2021 and his dynasty value to tumble outside the Top 10.
