It’s never been better for fantasy football managers in the market for an elite wide receiver. However, with more options comes more to consider. With wideouts, it typically comes down to determining who will stay amongst the elite, rather than who will join them. Even a modest dip in production can alter an entire fantasy season.
For the past two years, both Stefon Diggs and Davante Adams have been leading members of Club WR1; the pair have each ranked, at worst, inside the top seven at the position in PPR scoring. Aside from their immense talent, the two have benefitted from elite quarterback play, catching passes from Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers. While Adams has been one of the most valuable non-running backs in fantasy since 2020, will things change now that he’s left Green Bay for Las Vegas? Can Diggs return to form after an up-and-down 2021 campaign? Let’s take a deep dive at these two All Pros heading into training camp.
Should you draft Davante Adams or Stefon Diggs in fantasy football?
The Case For (and Against) Stefon Diggs
While he was always a very good player to have as a Viking, Stefon Diggs’ game reached another stratosphere after getting traded to the Bills prior to the 2020 season. The cannon arm of Josh Allen is tailor-made for Diggs’ play style, which relies on elite route running and getting separation from cornerbacks (since 2020, Diggs is seventh in the league in separation rate against single coverage).
The 2021 season was a slightly disappointing followup to Diggs’ first season in Buffalo; he finished as the WR7, a four-spot dip from a year prior. However, he was still the sixth-most targeted wide receiver in the league on average, as well as the second-highest targeted in the red zone. In one of the league’s top passing offenses, with good-not-great names like Gabriel Davis and Jamison Crowder lining up next to him, Diggs should still command close to or better than 25% of Allen’s pass attempts.
The Case For (and Against) Davante Adams
The numbers for Davante Adams last season are impressive to say the least; the PPR WR2 was second only to Cooper Kupp in catches and targets, while finishing in the top five for touchdowns and receiving yards. However, while Adams’ numbers with the Packers can’t be dismissed, his new situation in Las Vegas might not be as fantasy-friendly. Aside from the obvious quarterback downgrade from Aaron Rodgers to Derek Carr, Adams will have more competition for targets than at arguably any other point in his career. The duo of Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller combined for 179 catches last season; on the 2021 Packers, the team’s top four reception leaders other than Adams had a total of 154 catches.
With that being said, Adams can afford a slight dip in production and still remain one of the game’s best wideouts. While cold weather never really seemed to slow down the Fresno State product, playing inside a dome in Vegas should mean more passing situations than in Green Bay, where the team was often content to run out the clock against clearly inferior divisional opponents. The Raiders didn’t give up a haul not to use Adams as a go-to target; the question is whether he can come close to putting up similar numbers to his time with the Packers.
The Verdict: Stefon Diggs
If this was a real-life draft, Davante Adams would have a strong argument as the first non-quarterback selection. In fantasy football, where volume is king, things get trickier. Adams is a proven target monster, but the Raiders already have two other pass-catchers that have 100+ reception seasons under their belt with Derek Carr. That kind of familiarity and trust is hard to break. While Adams should still finish firmly within the top seven wide receivers in fantasy, it’s not crazy to say his best statistical seasons might be behind him.
On the other hand, Diggs’ top competition for targets, Davis, is a former fourth-round pick who hauled in just 35 passes last year. Floor is essential when taking a receiver in the first or second round; while Adams and Diggs will both be reliable, there should be less boom-or-bust with Diggs, who will need the ball every week if the Bills want to win the AFC East once again. Add on the Bills’ 13th-friendliest fantasy schedule for wide receivers, compared to the Raiders’ fourth-hardest, and it’s easier to see Diggs finishing inside the top three at his position once again than Adams. In this debate between two superstars, fantasy managers really can’t go wrong, but there’s a bit more to like for Diggs going into his third season in Buffalo.
