Week 6 vs. New England Patriots
Davante Adams is nicked up and struggled early on in the Monday night victory over the Packers. He was questionable heading into the game and wound up with four catches for 45 yards. He looked healthy in the fourth quarter, however, so fantasy managers shouldn’t be too concerned about him moving forward.
This week, Adams has a tough matchup against a New England defense that ranks 11th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. The Patriots tend to excel at shutting down their opponents’ best offensive weapon, but Adams is too talented to sit. Temper expectations, but keep him active as long as he isn’t a late scratch.
Week 5 vs. Green Bay Packers
Davante Adams had a quiet day by his standards last week against the Chargers, but he still wound up with 75 yards on eight receptions. Adams was also targeted 13 times and now has 50 targets on the year. Only Puka Nacua has more this season.
This week, Adams will face his former team, and a Green Bay defense that ranks 18th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. Expect another busy day for Adams, who should benefit if Jimmy Garoppolo gets out of concussion protocol, as expected. Adams is a must-start every week, regardless of matchup or quarterback. We have him ranked as an elite WR1 in all fantasy formats.
Update: With Adams questionable, make sure you have a backup plan in place for Monday night. Jayden Reed or Jakobi Meyers are worth rostering if you need to make a last minute switch.
Week 4 at Los Angeles Chargers
Davante Adams exploded last week with 13 catches for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was targeted 20 times in a loss to the Steelers, and while he’s expressed some frustration about the team’s status as a non-contender, he’s still producing. He has three touchdowns and 37 targets so far this year.
Adams has a great matchup this week against the Chargers, who rank 31st in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. Expect another busy day for the veteran and for him to find plenty of room against this secondary. The Chargers should be able to keep the Raiders throwing the ball, so we have Adams ranked inside our top five wide receivers this week. Start him.
Week 3 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Davante Adams left last week’s game with a head injury, but early signs are that he’ll be good to go for Week 3. Last week, he had six catches for 84 yards and the Raiders’ lone touchdown in a lopsided loss to the Bills. Adams now has 17 targets and 12 receptions through two games, so his usage looks like it hasn’t gone anywhere after getting 180 targets last season.
This week, Adams faces a tough Pittsburgh defense that wrecked havoc on the Browns’ passing game on Monday night. However, Adams is so good and he gets so many targets, he remains a must-start in every league, regardless of matchup. Check the status on his head injury, but if he starts, keep him active as an elite fantasy option.
Week 2 at Buffalo Bills
Davante Adams caught six balls for 66 yards last week in a tough matchup against the Broncos. He was second on the team with nine targets, but much of that was likely due to the quality of coverage assigned to him. He should still be expected to lead the team in targets more often than not.
This week, he faces a Bills defense that gave up a touchdown to Garrett Wilson, but held him to 34 yards on five catches. Much of that was likely to do with Zach Wilson playing nearly the entire game at quarterback. Expect better results from Adams, who should once again approach double-digit targets and be a quality WR1 in all fantasy leagues.
Week 1 at Denver Broncos
Davante Adams caught 100 balls for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns last season in his first year with the Raiders, and he earned his third consecutive All-Pro selection. Adams was targeted a ridiculous 180 times, and there’s no reason to suspect that to change, despite a change from Derek Carr to Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. We are all worried about the Raiders offense in general, but Adams should continue to produce. We saw Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk put up quality fantasy stats with Garoppolo behind center.
This week, Adams faces a tough Broncos secondary that helped Denver rank second in aFPA to opposing wide receivers a year ago. Still, Adams torched the Broncos in both outings last season, so keep your concerns at bay. Start Adams in all leagues every week with no hesitation.
Fantasy Upside
Davante Adams didn’t seem to miss Aaron Rodgers too much. He was the WR3 in half-PPR fantasy points last season and he led the league with 14 receiving touchdowns. Adams now has double-digit touchdowns in six of his last seven seasons and over 1,000 yards in four of his last five. He’s been healthy all season for two straight years now after missing time earlier in his career. The Raiders still have a creative offensive mind in Josh McDaniels, and Adams should remain a focal point of the Las Vegas offense.
Fantasy Downside
Adams should still be in his prime, but he’s getting older. He turns 31 in December and is entering his 10th season in the NFL. The biggest downside to drafting him at the end of the first round, however, is an iffy quarterback situation. While Jimmy Garoppolo should be nearly a wash with Derek Carr - now in New Orleans - he’s currently not a lock to start Week 1. He also has a pretty concerning injury history, missing at least six games in all but two of his six seasons in San Francisco. If Garoppolo can’t stay healthy, the Raiders are looking at Brian Hoyer at quarterback.
2023 Bottom Line
Ultimately, we’re betting talent wins out over the questions in Las Vegas, and that Adams maintains his role as an elite fantasy receiver. That said, he’s awfully expensive at the back end of the first round. Fantasy managers might want to hold off at that price and take someone in an offense projected to be a little more consistent.
Week 17 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Davante Adams has put together two clunkers in a row, with 28 yards in Week 15, and two catches for 15 yards last week against the Steelers. It was a brutal couple of weeks for the fantasy playoffs and now Derek Carr has been benched. At least he still had nine targets in each of the past two games.
The way to score fantasy points against the 49ers is through the wide receiver position, as they rank 28th in aFPA to the position. Adams’ recent struggles are compounded by the quarterback change to Jarrett Stidham this week, so fantasy managers should be cautious. Still, his talent and likely targets make him a starting option, and we still have him ranked as a solid starter.
Week 16 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Davante Adams had a disappointing outing in a tough matchup against the Patriots last week, gaining just 28 yards on four receptions. He still had nine targets and his role and talent make him an elite player at his position, but it was a killer for fantasy managers needing his production to advance to the next round of their playoffs.
This week, Adams faces a Steelers defense that ranks ninth in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. While it’s another tough matchup, you have to trust the targets and ability will get him back into WR1 numbers again, regardless of the opponent. We have him ranked inside our top five wide receivers this week and he should be active in all leagues.
Week 15 vs. New England Patriots
Davante Adams had a quiet day by his standards against the Rams last week, catching just three passes on seven targets for 71 yards. He also failed to find the end zone for just the fifth game this season. Adams has been well-worth the price of admission this season, overall. He’s tied for first in targets, is third in receiving yards, tied for fifth in receptions, and only Travis Kelce has as many receiving touchdowns (12).
This week, Adams has a tough matchup against the Patriots, who rank fifth in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. Still, Adams is so talented and gets so many targets that he’s a must-start regardless of the opponent. Expect another busy day for the veteran superstar and we have him ranked as an elite option once again. Start him, as always.
