Road to WR1: Davante Adams

With five 100-catch seasons in the past six years, Davante Adams will be in search of his second overall WR1 finish in fantasy after topping the position in 2020.

After eight years in Green Bay, Adams left the organization that drafted him to reunite with his college quarterback, Derek Carr, in Las Vegas. However, after just one season together, Carr chose to sign with New Orleans in free agency, leaving Adams behind to deal with the unsatisfactory quarterback room of Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O'Connell in 2023.

Adams was able to overcome the rough quarterback situation to post 103 receptions on 175 targets for 1,144 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Despite posting his lowest touchdown total since 2019, Adams still finished as the WR14 in standard leagues and WR10 in full-PPR leagues.

In his third season in the Sin City, Adams' quarterback situation remains unclear with the rumored preseason battle between O'Connell and free agent signee Gardner Minshew. Regardless of who begins the season at the helm, his target share should not see much of a decrease with the receiver room nearly the same as it was in 2023.

As he prepares to begin his age-31 season, wear-and-tear will also be a concern for Adams though he has shown little sign of slowing down.

How Davante Adams can finish as the fantasy WR1 in 2024

Without question, Adams' fantasy value is capped by the paltry quarterback play he has been given in Las Vegas but he has been able to overcome that limitation with league-leading volume. Behind Adams, Jakobi Meyers was second on the team with 106 targets in 2023 but Josh Jacobs was a distant third with only 54. Jacobs has since moved on to Green Bay in free agency.

After seeing 180 targets in 2022, Adams received 175 targets in 2023. Both numbers were second in the league amongst all receivers.

The Raiders drafted tight end Brock Bowers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and brought in Michael Gallup from Dallas to bolster their roster but neither player is expected to make a dent in Adams' usage.

Adams' usage will not be questioned entering 2024 but touchdown production will be a concern after recording just eight in 2023. Many other receivers put up worse numbers but O'Connell accounted for just 12 passing touchdowns in his 11 games. Even with a hefty target and yard count, a lack of touchdowns will be difficult to overcome in pursuit of WR1 placing.

O'Connell's lack of efficiency in the red zone on top of the addition of Bowers is concerning but Adams was once known as a dominant scorer with a career-high of 18 touchdowns in a single season. That tally will almost be impossible to match but even with the obstacles, reaching double digits is not out of reach and will be necessary to out-score his peers.

Becoming the WR1 in 2024 will be a daunting task for Adams given the circumstances but if he continues to dominate snaps and targets the way he has with Las Vegas, the goal is always within reach.