Fantasy Index

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Davante Adams

Adams looks like most go-to of the go-to receivers

I like Davante Adams. He’s very good, and he’s about all they have in Green Bay. Tough to imagine a scenario where he’s not one of the top few receivers at the end of the year.

With most receivers nowadays, there’s also another good pass catcher playing on the opposite side. If you select Julio Jones, you worry about Calvin Ridley outperforming him. If you draft DeAndre Hopkins, you worry about Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk. Amari Cooper comes with Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb.

But with Adams, he’s about all they have in Green Bay.

If you had to rank the wide receivers in order by how much they would outperform the 2nd-best wide receiver on their own team, Adams would be the first choice on most everyone’s board.

So trot out the numbers and look at how past such receivers have performed. I’m putting up the top 40 from the past 20 years. These are the 40 wide receivers who generated the biggest spread between themselves and any other wide receiver on their own team. I see Pierre Garcon down at 11th with Washington in 2013, but everyone else is in the top 6.

(Note: In hindsight, I will I had compared not simply wide receivers but pass catchers – including tight ends – but the results I imagine would have been similar.)

Adams looks like a very safe choice to be an addition to this list. If I were drafting today, Michael Thomas would be my top wide receiver, but I think it’s Adams that comes in next in line.

LONE WOLF WIDE RECEIVERS
YearPlayerRecYdsTDPPRNo. 2 WR(No-Yds-TD)
2019Michael Thomas, N.O.1491,72591Ted Ginn30-421-2
2001Rod Smith, Den.1131,343113Eddie Kennison15-167-1
2001Marvin Harrison, Ind.1091,524151Terrence Wilkins34-332-1
2015Julio Jones, Atl.1361,87192Roddy White43-506-1
2003Randy Moss, Min.1111,632171Kelly Campbell25-522-4
2014Antonio Brown, Pitt.1291,698141Markus Wheaton53-644-2
2012Brandon Marshall, Chi.1181,508112Alshon Jeffery24-367-3
2012Calvin Johnson, Det.1221,96451Titus Young33-383-4
2005Steve Smith Sr., Car.1031,563131Ricky Proehl25-441-4
2005Santana Moss, Was.841,48396David Patten22-217-0
2002Marvin Harrison, Ind.1431,722111Reggie Wayne49-716-4
2018DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.1151,572111Will Fuller32-503-4
2010Dwayne Bowe, K.C.721,162154Chris Chambers22-213-1
2015Antonio Brown, Pitt.1361,834111Martavis Bryant50-765-7
2018Tyreek Hill, K.C.871,479142Sammy Watkins40-519-3
2018Michael Thomas, N.O.1251,40596TreQuan Smith28-427-5
2018Davante Adams, G.B.1111,386134M. Valdes-Scantling38-581-2
2013Josh Gordon, Cle.871,64693Greg Little41-465-2
2010Roddy White, Atl.1151,389101Michael Jenkins41-505-2
2008Calvin Johnson, Det.781,331123Shaun McDonald35-332-1
2013Calvin Johnson, Det.841,492126Kris Durham38-490-2
2003Anquan Boldin, Ariz.1011,37783Bryant Johnson35-438-1
2007Reggie Wayne, Ind.1041,510102Anthony Gonzalez37-576-3
2017DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.961,378131Will Fuller28-423-7
2001David Boston, Ariz.981,59884Frank Sanders41-618-2
2000Marvin Harrison, Ind.1021,413141Jerome Pathon50-646-3
2015DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.1111,521114Nate Washington47-658-4
2012Andre Johnson, Hou.1121,59846Kevin Walter41-518-2
2009Andre Johnson, Hou.1011,56991Kevin Walter53-611-2
2011Calvin Johnson, Det.961,681161Nate Burleson73-757-3
2011Wes Welker, N.E.1221,56992Deion Branch51-702-5
2016Antonio Brown, Pitt.1061,284121Eli Rogers48-594-3
2001Terrell Owens, S.F.931,412162J.J. Stokes54-585-7
2013Pierre Garcon, Was.1131,346511Santana Moss42-452-2
2004Muhsin Muhammad, Car.931,405161Keary Colbert47-754-5
2007Braylon Edwards, Cle.801,289164Joe Jurevicius50-614-3
2016Mike Evans, T.B.961,321123Adam Humphries55-622-2
2004Terrell Owens, Phil.771,200146Todd Pinkston36-676-1
2012A.J. Green, Cin.971,350114Andrew Hawkins51-533-4
2014Dez Bryant, Dall.881,320164Terrance Williams37-621-8

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index