Davante Adams is a wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders and was selected in the second round (No. 53 overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft. Born in Redwood City, California, Adams attended Palo Alto High School and started at both wide receiver and cornerback for the Palo Alto Vikings. As a senior, Adams caught 64 passes for 1,094 yards and 12 touchdowns, and also recorded 44 tackles, two forced fumbles and one interception. Adams was a two-star recruit in basketball, but committed to Fresno State to play football as part of their 2011 recruiting class.
After redshirting his true freshman season, Adams quickly emerged as one of the top receivers in the nation. He played just two seasons with the Bulldogs, compiling 233 receptions, 3,030 receiving yards and 38 touchdowns. He was named the Mountain West Freshman of the year in 2012, and First-Team All-MWC in 2012 and 2013. Adams was also recognized with Second-Team All-American honors in 2013 after going 131-1718-24.
Now a 10-year veteran in the NFL, Adams has been not only a great fantasy asset, but a future NFL Hall of Famer. In 2021, Adams posted career highs in receptions (123), receiving yards (1,553) and targets (169) while also catching 11 touchdowns and averaging 21.5 fantasy points per game (WR2 overall). This marked the third time in four seasons that Adams went over 1,300 receiving yards and had double-digit touchdowns.
Adams has truly been one of the most elite fantasy wide receivers in recent memory. He has been a top-12 wide receiver in fantasy points per game since 2016, and has been a top-8 wide receiver in points per game since 2017. During his dominant 2021 campaign, Adams ranked No. 4 in the league in YAC (576), No. 14 in Deep Balls (23) and No. 2 in Target Share (31.6-percent). In 2020, he was No. 1 in EPA with 87.1. Adams totaled just six drops that season, and was No. 10 in Air Yards with 1,520. He was just No. 29 in total routes run (429) but still finished as the WR2 with 21.5 fantasy points per game.
In his first year as a Raider in 2022, Adams did not take much of a step back. He finished with 100 receptions, 1,516 receiving yards, and a career-high 2,130 Air Yards. His massive 32.6-percent (No. 1) Target Share suggests he is still an elite-target earner entering his 30s. Jimmy Garoppolo is Adams’ quarterback in Las Vegas, but no matter who is throwing him the ball, Adams finds a way to be productive.
However, that consistency finally waned in 2023 with Jimmy Garoppolo and Aiden O'Connell under center. Adams recorded his worst fantasy output since 2019 and faltered on many occasions despite 175 targets. He still managed to finish as the WR10 overall, but Adams finished outside the top 25 fantasy receivers on eight occasions. While he hasn't lost much of a step at 31 years of age, Las Vegas' quarterback play will be the difference between a good and great season in 2024.
