Countdown to 2021 fantasy football drafts: Davante Adams No. 4

Davante Adams broke out in a big way last season. The Green Bay Packers No. 1 receiver had a real thing going with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He caught a career high 115 passes (149 targets) and finished with 1,374 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns—which was also the most touchdowns by a receiver in a season since 2007. Firmly entrenched in the elite tier of NFL wide receivers, Adams is banking on another big year in Green Bay.

To commemorate the 2021 NFL season, we’ll be counting down the 75 best fantasy football players in the league. Picking a Top 75 is subjective, especially when you are projecting a whole season of accumulated fantasy points, but that’s part of the fun. We’ll assume what I see as an average league, which is 12 teams, .5 PPR scoring and a roster of 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, & 1RB/WR/TE. Kickers and defenses need not apply.

Change is the nature of the NFL beast, so trades and injuries will likely impact this list as we go along, but hey, this isn’t rocket science. We’re here to have a little fun and build up some much needed anticipation for a league cast in the shadow by baseball, soccer, hockey, etc. Sarcasm aside, the NFL is addictive and we’re here to give your daily fix as we close in on the season.

The official fantasy football drafting tiers can be found here.

No. 4, Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers WR

Adams is the key cog in the Packers’ passing attack, Rodgers’ favorite target. But it’s not just the quarterback, Adams reached new heights in his route running and ability to get the better of his matchups last season, especially in the red zone. He’s going to leave a lot of corners and safeties coming off the field flustered again this year.

Competition for touches

After Adams’ 149 targets, the next most-targeted player on the team was running back Aaron Jones and receiver Marquez Valdes-Scandling, who each had 63 throws come their way. Randall Cobb returns this season, at the demand of Rodgers, so it’s reasonable to expect him to peel off a few targets from his role in the slot. But it shouldn’t be enough to drop Adams anywhere outside the top three receivers in the league when it comes to his overall production.

Team offensive expectations

After getting the situation with Aaron Rodgers settled for this year, the Packers offense should come out firing on all cylinders in 2021. Not only do they return an outstanding group of players, this is a team with something to prove. They were the top offense in the NFL last season, averaging more than 31 points per game, and they should be one of the best again this year.

What’s his upside?

Adams put up those numbers last season in just 14 games, so just think what he could do over a full season in 2021 with a 17-game schedule to boot. He’s also in a contract year, after breaking off talks with the team over the summer. Don’t underestimate the extra motivation from the chance to become the league’s highest paid receiver next spring.

What’s his downside?

There’s not a ton of downside to Adams. He hasn’t played a full season since 2016, but he’s not had to deal with major injuries either.

Projection

110 receptions, 1250 yards, 13 touchdowns