Dissension in the ranks: Debating Drake London vs. Davante Adams for fantasy football 2024

Indecision reigns supreme at the back-end of the WR1 class. The question that has perplexed drafters: Take the old faithful veteran (Davante Adams) or the newer, less proven model, but with breakout expectations (Drake London)? These two receivers have been rounding out the top 10 at the receiver position in summer fantasy drafts, but who fills that spot has been a back-and-forth affair — look at one site’s ADP list, and it’s London; look at another, and it’s Adams.

With an industry telling us that the value difference between these two receivers is basically negligible for the upcoming season, we’ve enlisted Adam Ronis and Gene Clemons to help break this virtual tie. Ronis is siding with youth in Atlanta’s go-to wideout, while Clemons is leaning on the Raiders receiver’s bankable track record. Read the cases below and declare your winner in the comments section.

Ronis loves the Drake:

Forget about the stats for Drake London in his first two seasons. The coaching staff and system is important in football, and London was stuck under Arthur Smith, an unfavorable place to be for receiver production. The Falcons averaged 183 passing yards the past two seasons.

The talent is evident for London, who was drafted No. 8 overall by the Falcons in 2022. Not only did the system stymie London, it didn’t help that the quarterbacks were Desmond Ridder, Marcus Mariota and Taylor Heinicke. 

It’s a stark change this season with Zac Robinson branching out from the Sean McVay tree to become the offensive coordinator, and Kirk Cousins being brought in at quarterback. This will lead to a great season for London. He had a 23.3% target share last season, and that should increase as there’s no doubt the Falcons will pass more, and score more. 

It’s easy to look at Davante Adams and believe he has a high floor based on his two seasons with the Raiders. Adams had 175+ targets and 100 receptions in each season. The quarterback play wasn’t as good last season, and Adams went from 1,516 yards in 2022 to 1,144 in 2023. The touchdowns also dropped from 14 to eight. 

Adams had a 58.9% catch rate last year and, if the volume goes down, it will hurt him since the quarterback play won’t get better. A lot of the metrics for Adams were worse last season, and he turns 32 in December. We also can’t ignore that he has gotten worse against man coverage the past few seasons. The quarterback play is likely to be one of the worst in football on a team that wants to run the football. Banking on volume for a receiver declining, a year older, and with poor quarterback play is risky. Take London, the younger receiver ascending in a better offense

Clemons endorses Davante

The Netflix series “Receivers” should have explained to you how passionate Davante Adams is about playing football. That’s why a line of 103 receptions, 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns feels like a disappointing season for the 10-year veteran. A season like that would be a career-defining season for Drake London. What sets Adams apart from London is the hands and the route running. It’s why, despite having an inconsistent quarterback situation over the past two seasons, Adams has continued to perform.

Over his two seasons with the Raiders, he has been targeted 355 times. That has resulted in 203 receptions, over 2,600 yards and 22 touchdowns. His No. 11 fantasy finish among WRs was his worst ranking since 2019, when he was ranked 23rd in PPR leagues. The next season, he rebounded as the No. 1 receiver in fantasy. He would go on to occupy a top five spot in fantasy for the three seasons prior to 2023. History shows that he bounces back from his interpretation of a subpar season.

His QB play should be more consistent in 2024. It’s either going to be the second season for Aidan O’Connell, which means consistency and some familiarity with Adams, and that should promote better numbers. Also, if Gardner Minshew wins the job, Michael Pittman’s performance is a good indicator of the floor for Adams. That’s 109 receptions, 1,152 yards and four touchdowns. I think we can all agree that Adams is better than Michael Pittman Jr., but if those are Adams’ stats in 2024, they will be much better than anything London has produced over his first two seasons.

There are just too many questions surrounding London, making me uncomfortable selecting him over Adams. In Adams’ situation, the only question is who will throw him the ball. For London, the questions are: How will he adapt to this new offense? Will he be prioritized in it? New Falcons OC Zac Robinson comes from the Rams/Sean McVay tree. That offense favors the receivers who can operate in the slot, sift through traffic and get dirty as blockers in the run game. Will London thrive in that spot? Or will that become how super talented, yet underachieving, tight end Kyle Pitts emerges as the main weapon in that offense?

(Top photo of Davante Adams: Steve Marcus/Getty Images);(Top photo of Drake London: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)