2025 Fantasy Football Divisional Breakdowns – NFC West

When you look at the NFC West this year, it’s hard to make heads or tails of most of these teams. There are a lot of things to like about each roster. You could make a case for each of these teams to overperform their preseason win totals. There’s also a very real chance that these teams can flounder if some things bounce just the wrong way. It’s fascinating how a division can both be so exciting for fantasy and yet so stressful. Let’s talk about those fantasy players you’ll want to roster, but watch their games through your fingers.

2025 Fantasy Football Divisional Breakdowns – NFC West

Seattle Seahawks

Looking Back on 2024

The Seahawks were a team that had a chance to be a dark-horse playoff candidate. The offense was ramping up with Geno Smith under center. They had brought in a fun, exciting new offensive coordinator from the University of Washington after their National Championship run. The offensive line needed some work, but there was some optimism that a good scheme could hide their weaknesses.

Shockingly, they did not. Seattle had an overall “fine” season but missed the playoffs despite sharing a 10-7 record with the Los Angeles Rams. Despite their offensive line issues, both Kenneth Walker and Zack Charbonnet were good when given the chance. We even saw the emergence of JSN, so it wasn’t all bad.

Looking Forward to 2025

Tying for the division lead and missing in the playoffs was not enough to keep their offense intact. The Seahawks shipped off Geno Smith and DK Metcalf via trades, sent Tyler Lockett packing to the waiver wire, and kicked their new offensive coordinator to the curb. The new look offense consists of 2024 breakout Sam Darnold, fantasy football icon Cooper Kupp, and new OC Klint Kubiak from New Orleans. The offense line still sucks, but these new faces bring a bit of excitement to an otherwise questionable unit.

Fantasy Relevant players

Sam Darnold, QB

Now comes the test to figure out if Sam Darnold’s comeback performance was legit or a fluke. Behind this Swiss cheese offensive line, Sam has his work cut out for him. The hope is that the offense can work around a weaker front to find opportunities for Darnold to connect with JSN or Kupp. This, of course, assumes Sam Darnold won’t turn into a pumpkin, so there’s a hint of risk around all of these players. From what we saw last year, it’s tough to ignore that Sam Donald has the capacity to support strong fantasy options throughout the year.

Kenneth Walker III, RB

KW3 needs to stay on the field. He is the best running back on the team, but he is betrayed by his glass bones and paper skin. Walker was fantastic last year, and we can only hope he continues that success with a healthy 17-game season. We know that this team wants to run the ball and run the ball a lot, so there are plenty of opportunities for Walker to be an elite fantasy asset. But if you can’t stay on the field, then Zach Charbonnet won’t hesitate to take over the backfield.

Zach Charbonnet, RB

In the games where Ken Walker missed, Zack Charbonnet was an excellent option for those needing a running back in a pinch. He’s a relevant fantasy football asset because of the uncertainty of Ken Walker being able to finish a complete season. While I do think Walker will command the majority of the rush attempts, it will be interesting to see if the coaching staff opts to limit Walker in order to have him for the whole season. If that happens, Charbonnet should be a regular contributor. If Ken Walker does miss a large period of time, Charbonnet will be an absolute smash each and every week.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR

A year after his disappointing rookie season, we all finally saw the JSN breakout we were expecting. JSN headlines an interesting Seattle wide receiver room and is poised to be the main target in this offense. The Seahawks did add Cooper Kupp and draft some other pass catchers, but I’m not worried about his overall usage. As long as Sam Darnold and JSN can get on the same page, both of these players will be in for a big fantasy year.

Fantasy Question marks

Cooper Kupp, WR

Oh, Cooper Kupp. The former king of fantasy, a triple-crown winner, and now a wide receiver two on a rebuilding offense. His presence in the wide receiver room will certainly help the young guys improve their game, but it’s unclear how useful he will be in fantasy. He began to look slow at the end of 2024, which was enough to give drafters a bit of pause before adding him to their rosters. There is a world where he is good again and provides plenty of fantasy points. There’s also a world where this is the end of an era.

Elijah Arroyo and AJ Barner, TE

This tight end room is wide open and is one of the main camp battles worth watching this preseason. Both AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo have the skill set to be multi-down players, but we really need one of them to emerge as the clear starter to provide fantasy value. Right now, if I were to bet who would be the better option for your fantasy team, it would be Elijah Arroyo. He profiles to be a better pass catcher and a more explosive option. There’s a world where AJ Barner has the majority of the snaps due to his ability to work in the run game, so we’ll just have to monitor these snaps as we go.

Fantasy Long Shots

Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR), Jake Bobo (WR), Tory Horton (WR), Jalen Milroe (QB)

Behind JSN and Cooper Kupp, the wide receiver room is can only be described as “eclectic”. MVS and Jake Bobo are the returning vets who are in line for early play in the season. Then we have rookie Tory Horton, who has been impressing throughout training camp and is a player that I am high on going into the season as a surprise rookie play. One of these three guys will likely emerge as a useful fantasy option. Jalen Milroe is an exciting option if Darnold ever goes down because of his elite rushing ability. Of course, he still has to step above Drew Lock in the pecking order in order to see the field.

Los Angeles Rams

Looking Back on 2024

Last year, the Rams were a good but unexciting team. Which is weird, considering they had a handful of great fantasy players that we could watch and track throughout the year. Maybe exciting is the wrong word. They were just inconsistently OK. They didn’t necessarily feel like a playoff team until they made it. They had to fight throughout the year to get there and squeaked by on a tiebreaker.

Looking Forward to 2025

Not much has changed for the Rams heading into 2025, with the main exception of losing Cooper Kupp to the Seahawks. Oh, I guess they did get a guy named Davante Adams as well. Matt Stafford is currently dealing with a back injury, and it’s unclear whether or not he can tough this one out. If he can, this Rams offense should be great. However, if it’s Jimmy Garoppolo under center, a lot of these players will lose their value due to the uncertainty of quarterback play. Kyren Williams did sign a new extension, so look for them to lean on the run game no matter what.

Fantasy Relevant players

Matthew Stafford, QB

Matthew Stafford is the same quarterback we’ve seen forever. He’s a great player, he’s a tough player, and if he’s able to stand, he’s going to play. Unfortunately, at this point, we’re not sure if he can stand. His health is vital to the success of the other fantasy options on this team. We can only hope he figures out his back issues before the start of the season.

Kyren Williams, RB

Everyone’s favorite punt returner has signed a new deal with the Rams to stick around for another three years. Williams should be a lock for another top-15 season,  with some top-10 upside. He does it all, and the coaching staff loves him. There’s not much else you need to know. He’s great, and you should not fade him based on late-round running backs that the Rams draft.

Puka Nacua, WR

Puka is elite as always. He’s stepping into his third season, missing only a little bit of time last year, and should be good to go for gold. Even with Jimmy G, I feel as though Puka will be able to do enough to make drafters happy.

Davante Adams, WR

Now here’s a wide receiver who can either be once again elite or begging to leave their team a few weeks into the season. If Matthew Stafford starts, you should start Adam with full confidence. If it’s Jimmy G starting, you may want to avoid Davante Adams until we see how things play out. We saw how their chemistry disappeared while both players were in Vegas, so I hope we’re not going to re-create that nightmare scenario this season.

Fantasy Question Marks

Terrance Ferguson, TE

Ferguson is an interesting tight end option after the Rams invested a pretty early draft pick. They still have Tyler Higbee on the roster, making this even more fascinating. Ferguson is an athletic pass catcher, and that makes him usable for fantasy. The question will just become how much work he will get in this crowded offense.

Fantasy Long Shots

Jimmy Garoppolo (QB), Konata Mumpfield (WR), Tutu Atwell (WR), Jordan Whittington (WR)

We can only hope that Jimmy G does not start for this team but as it stands, he’s someone that you may be forced to play if you need it by quarterback, and Matthew Stafford can’t go. Konata Muhlfeld is making some noise in training camp so it’s another rookie for you to monitor behind Davante Adams and Puka Nacua. It’s tough to see him getting much work with Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell hanging around.

Arizona Cardinals

Looking Back on 2024

I’m not entirely sure where the Cardinals stood in terms of expectations for the 2024 season. On paper, they didn’t appear to be Super Bowl contenders, but they also didn’t seem horrifically bad. I guess that ends up being a tricky spot to exist in when your division is equally average across the board. There were certainly high hopes for this offense after selecting Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth overall. Somehow, I don’t think people were surprised with an 8-9 record. They were more surprised at the tepid season from MHJ and the electric year from Trey McBride.

Looking Forward to 2025

The outlook for 2025 feels the same. Vegas has their win-total line set at 8.5, right about where they were last year. The offense is relatively unchanged, and the coaching staff is intact. We, as fantasy players, are only hoping for a better year from Marvin Harrison Jr., and that Trey McBride and Kyler Murray will still be good for your roster. James Conner and Trey Benson might split snaps, but otherwise, nothing too crazyis going on in Arizona.

Fantasy Relevant players

Kyler Murray, QB

I’ll be completely honest with you, I do not like having Kyler Murray on my fantasy team. I understand the upside. I understand why it might be tempting to grab him in the middle rounds. My issue with Kyler is that he’s just too inconsistent for our game. Yes, Murray is an MVP winner and has been fantastic in the past. Since that year, he has not been the same player. I hope I’m wrong about Kyla Murray this year because the other weapons on the team are very good and are exciting for us as fantasy players.

Trey McBride, TE

Trey McBride is one of the unluckiest tight ends in the league despite being an elite pass catcher. He only had two touchdowns last year – one of which was a fumble recovery touchdown. All the signs point to a positive progression for touchdowns, meaning Trey McBride should score even more points this year. McBride is a perfect difference-making tight end to grab if you don’t want to pay up for Brock Bowers.

Marvin Harrison Jr. WR

Marvin Harrison Junior broke my heart last year. I risked it all in my drafts, picking him in the first round despite all of the warning signs. I wanted to believe. Instead of being that phenom we all thought he would be, he was just good. We weren’t looking for good! We wanted extraordinary! It was frustrating to say the least. In year two, he should take a step forward to become that true, alpha wide receiver we saw at Ohio State.

James Conner, RB

James Conner has been an underrated fantasy player for years despite his ability to consistently come through. Each year he gets older, and each year the disrespect grows. He is the engine that drives this offense. Where Conner goes, this offense goes, and people don’t want to think that a 30-year-old running back can do that. He has all the tools to be a strong performer this year. Health is his only concern.

Fantasy Question marks

Trey Benson, RB

Some fantasy analysts figured Trey Benson would take over the backfield last year due to his excellent combine scores and draft capital. Unfortunately, that didn’t come to fruition, and a lot of managers were left holding the bag. This season could be different, as reports out of camp are hinting towards a more split backfield. If that does turn out to be the case

Fantasy Long Shots

Michael Wilson (WR), Greg Dortch (WR), Elijah Higgins (TE)

I have no idea if I will roster any of these guys at any point this season. They are the longest of long shots. Greg Dortch had a fun stretch during last season, but then faded to the background once again. I don’t know if these players will see enough targets or opportunities to be relevant, even with injuries to the starters.

San Francisco 49ers

Looking back on 2024

Following a heartbreaking Super Bowl defeat at the hands of the dastardly Kansas City Chiefs, the 49ers were hoping to power right back into the playoffs and get revenge. Unfortunately, those dreams were cut short thanks to a flurry of devastating injuries. CMC, who was “totally fine” during training camp, missed a large chunk of the season. Both Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel missed time with leg injuries. To top it all off, their defense was picked apart by the injury bug as well. It was a mess, and ultimately left San Francisco reeling with a 6-11 record.

Looking Forward to 2025

San Francisco is going through some growing pains at the moment. They moved on from Deebo Samuel in the offseason and are asking their two young wideouts to fill the void. Christian McCaffrey appears to be healthy, but there is some lingering concern about how his injuries are reported. That leaves both second-year back Isaac Guerendo and rookie Jordan James on-call if CMC were to miss time. The team as a whole should remain very competitive, given that all health concerns are avoided.

Fantasy Relevant players

Brock Purdy, QB

Walking into 2025 with a big bag of money, Brock Purdy is one of the safest bets for fantasy football. He’s a good quarterback with great weapons around him. He takes care of the football and has a teeny-tiny rushing upside. Purdy is good enough to help you win your tight matchups, but best of all, he won’t typically cause you to lose. He’s still cheap in drafts, so there won’t be much of a trade-off like there is with the other elite quarterbacks.

Christian McCaffrey, RB

Christian McCaffrey, when healthy, is the ultimate fantasy football asset. We know this, we’ve seen it, and we have to believe he’s still that guy. He killed hundreds of fantasy seasons last year when he missed the first half of the season, but that’s old news! This is a brand new year with a brand new lease on life. McCaffrey is shaping up to be the key piece in this 49ers offense once again, making him the most terrifying first-round pick this year. The rewards are there for the taking if you’re brave enough.

George Kittle, TE

For some, Kittle is the TE3, others the TE2 – either way, he is one of the best options on this offense outside of Christian McCaffrey. People joke that Kittle is actually the WR1 on this team, but it might not be that far-fetched come Week 1. He is a first-down machine and can dominate in the red zone. Kittle can be a rock for your fantasy roster.

Fantasy Question marks

Ricky Pearsall, WR

The first round selection in 2024 came into his own towards the back half of the season. He missed the first portion of the year after getting shot, so it was a bit of a miracle that we saw him play at all. Ricky Pearsall should see regular usage this season as the wide receiver room is open for the taking. For us fantasy managers, we are going to need to make a bet and stake a claim on which wideout is going to be the most valuable. If it isn’t Pearsall, then it’s a good bet it’ll be this next guy.

Jauan Jennings, WR

Jauan Jennings suddenly found himself as one of the elder statesmen in this 49ers wide receiver room after the departure of Deebo Samuel. Jennings was solid in 2024, coming in just a few yards shy of 1,000 yards on the season. Most of that work came in a monster outing where he hauled in 175 yards on 11 catches. That is the type of value we love to see in fantasy, and we are hoping this is indicative of his role in 2025. Like I mentioned previously, he will be fighting for reps against Ricky Pearsall, so there is a question about who will get the majority of the targets in this offense. It’s a guessing game between these two San Francisco wideouts.

Brandon Aiyuk, WR

After a devastating knee injury last year, there are a lot of concerns surrounding the once-promising receiver. Mainly – how will he recover after missing most of last year? Also under scrutiny is his overall role in this offense, as two new receivers are taking center stage. Will Aiyuk find enough work to be on our fantasy rosters? Are we completely underrating him from the rip? It’s difficult to say for sure, but I am much more hesitant to grab Aiyuk than I am the other two options.

Fantasy Long Shots

Isaac Guerendo (RB), Jordan James (RB)

CMC’s backups are always incredibly valuable. Last year, we saw Jordan Mason break out in a big way, and we even saw Guerendo get some solid work once both McCaffrey and Mason missed time. If Guerendo does escape camp without an injury designation, he is in line to be that immediate backup. However, we should keep tabs on Jordan James as the RB3, just in case injuries once again impact this running back room.

For more great fantasy football rankings and analysis, make sure to check out the 2025 FantraxHQ Fantasy Football Draft Kit!