Davante Adams played his first game for the Rams on Sunday and finished Week 1 with four catches for 51 yards.
Adams was targeted eight times, so there was definitely some disconnect between him and quarterback Matthew Stafford. The good news is that this was only their first game together, so expect that connection to continue to improve. Despite that, I still believe that Adams will be more than just relevant in fantasy football this season.
The Rams’ offense is quite fantasy-friendly for pass catchers, particularly for the top two wideouts. Last season, it was Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, who both finished inside the top 21 receivers in FPTS per game on DraftKings. Kupp missed some time last season, so his overall fantasy numbers weren’t elite, but the FPTS per game stats tell a story of what that duo did when they were out there. I expect something similar this year with Nacua and Adams.
Despite only catching half of his targets in the opening game, Adams finished with 9.1 FPTS in Week 1, 39th-best among wideouts. It’s certainly not the dream start for fantasy managers, but there are likely better things to come. Stafford should continue to provide the necessary volume to each of his top two pass catchers in order for them to be not only relevant but good starters in fantasy.
Adams is coming off a season in which he played for two different teams after being traded from the Raiders to the Jets in midseason. Despite that, he still recorded 1,000+ receiving yards for the fifth straight year. He was more than just relevant in fantasy scoring, as he finished in a tie for the 11th-most FPTS by a wide receiver last season on DraftKings. His 17.9 FPTS per game was the 10th-best among wideouts. In 2023, Adams was 12th among wideouts in FPTS on DraftKings. The only concern with Adams is his age. Even at 32 years old, this is a guy who continues to produce season after season in fantasy football and it doesn’t matter who’s throwing him the ball. I’m a believer in his ability to be one of the best wideouts in fantasy football every season until I see otherwise.
You could argue that Adams is in a way better situation this season in Los Angeles compared to last season in Las Vegas and New York, so it’s possible that we can even see an improvement in his numbers in 2025. Puka Nacua will continue to command crazy volume in this offense, but I don’t expect Adams to be far behind. Being the WR2 in this Sean McVay/Matthew Stafford offense has proved to be fruitful in the past, and I don’t see why this season will be any different.
Even after an unconvincing Week 1, I still consider Davante Adams an elite WR2 and a fringe WR1 in fantasy lineups.
