What is Davante Adams' fantasy value without Aaron Rodgers?
Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski discuss where Davante Adams will be drafting next season if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return to the Green Bay Packers.
Video Transcript
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MATT HARMON: I think Adams is the proof of why route-running matters, why technique matters, why being a student of the game matters, because that's what he became. Just worked his tail off to get there. And yeah, you're right, it does kind of feel like we might never see Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams again, and then that puts Green Bay-- like, I think if Rodgers is back, they franchise tag Davante Adams and just like piece together the rest of the roster. They bring those two back. But if Rodgers is gone, I feel like it's all bets off with Adams because their salary cap situation is that bad.
SCOTT PIANOWSKI: Plus we don't know if Jordan Love can play either.
MATT HARMON: No. No we don't, right. Like, if the Packers do bring Adams back and then it's like, what would you do-- let's say in a hypothetical world, the Packers bring back, somehow they franchise tag Davante Adams and he's there and he's just doing it, Aaron Rodgers is gone, he's either retired or he's on another team, where are you ranking Davante Adams? Because I feel like if it's Rodgers and Adams, you could argue that Adams is the wide receiver one overall even ahead of Cooper Kupp. But where would you rank him if it's that scenario?
SCOTT PIANOWSKI: I can't take a receiver, even one as talented as Davante Adams, in the first or second round unless I feel good about their quarterback. I mean, with Justin Jefferson, you feel good about Kirk Cousins. Cousins is a whole other kettle of fish who, if you watch him on the right day, you kind of talk yourself into him, you watch him on the wrong day, you're like, he's just good enough to lose with. But he's at least of a certain level of competence. We don't know that about Jordan Love. So if Love's set to be the opening day starter, I would have to say that, again, going green light, yellow light, red light-- I hate saying this, I'm going to regret saying it. It's going to be thrown in my face if he's great with Jordan Love-- but I would not draft him. He would be a red light player for me.
MATT HARMON: Yeah, he'd have to fall to wide receiver seven or eight for me because there's just so many good players at the top. It's like, guys with good quarterbacks and good offensive ecosystems. I think Matt LaFleur is a good coach.
SCOTT PIANOWSKI: Me too.
MATT HARMON: I think they've designed that offense really well, and I think that they've actually made life pretty easy on Davante Adams. Like comparatively, right? He's still the number one receiver, that's a tough gig. But they've, at least they don't just ask him to go out there and beat press coverage every single route and go against their number one corner. They move him in the slot, they get him some layups, they get him screens, stuff like that. They do that with Jordan Love, but again, is the juice going to be there for him to be a top three fantasy receiver? That's tough to ask for when there's just so many good receivers out there attached to good quarterbacks.
SCOTT PIANOWSKI: It's like why run uphill when you can run downhill?
MATT HARMON: Right.
SCOTT PIANOWSKI: You know, Stefon Diggs runs downhill. Cooper Kupp runs downhill. Justin Jefferson runs downhill.
MATT HARMON: Ja'Marr Chase.
SCOTT PIANOWSKI: Adams without Rodgers is unfortunately going to be running uphill.
