In 2023, the NFC West provided the conference’s challenger for the Super Bowl. In 2024, it was a roller coaster ride that saw all four teams in contention for the division title at some point before the Los Angeles Rams won the crown via tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks.
The NFC West had a 10-win champion, tied with the AFC South (Houston) and NFC South (Tampa Bay) for the fewest last season. But its last-placed team in 2024 – the San Francisco 49ers – had more wins (six) than any other last-placed team league-wide.
No team established itself as the dominant force. Things could change in 2025 as teams across the division made significant changes this offseason.
Seattle brought in a new offensive coordinator and quarterback for 2025. The Rams signed a three-time All-Pro wide receiver. Arizona invested heavily in defense via both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. San Francisco brought back defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and lost many familiar faces on offense and defense via free agency and trades.
Many of these moves will have fantasy football implications. There are plenty of questions for each team ahead of the 2025 season but we’ve settled on one big one for each franchise.
Here’s our one burning question for each team in the NFC West.
Fantasy football questions: NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Will Marvin Harrison Jr. make a leap in Year 2?
Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzig operates one of the most diverse and unpredictable run schemes in the league. Defenses are tasked with preparing for all types of schemes for James Conner and company to churn out tough yards.
The same can’t be said for the pass offense. It was head-scratching campaign 2024; tight end Trey McBride enjoyed a breakout season but didn’t score a touchdown until Week 17. Without a designated deep threat in the receiving corps, that fell on Harrison’s shoulders.
Harrison entered the league as one of the top fade route receivers in recent college football history. Quarterback Kyler Murray has a history of throwing those well. But neither could get on the same page. Arizona targeted Harrison on fade routes more than all but one receiver league-wide in 2024 and he caught six of them.
If it wasn’t for the incredible success of fellow 2024 draftees Brian Thomas Jr., Malik Nabers and Ladd McConkey, Harrison’s rookie year might have felt less disappointing. He’s bulked up ahead of the 2025 season and that could help him adjust to the pro game better. But will Petzig and Murray get the most out of him? That could be the difference between WR8 and WR20 this season.
Top players (Fantasy Pros ADP)
- Trey McBride (TE2, overall: 19)
- Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR21, overall: 42)
- James Conner (RB18, overall: 51)
- Kyler Murray (QB9, overall: 76)
- Trey Benson (RB47, overall: 145)
- Michael Wilson (WR74, overall: 195)
Los Angeles Rams
Can Davante Adams be a top-15 fantasy WR again?
Los Angeles brought in one of the top wide receivers of his generation this offseason by signing Davante Adams to a two-year, $46 million deal. The three-time All-Pro should slide in and fill the void left by longtime Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, now in Seattle.
Adams managed more than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games with the Raiders and Jets in 2024. That made him WR12 in standard scoring leagues and WR11 in PPR formats.
In 2025, he’ll have Matthew Stafford throwing the ball to him in Sean McVay’s scheme, with Puka Nacua taking attention from the defense. That’s a pretty sweet setup.
But Nacua may take a large share of the targets to keep Adams from repeating that performance. Nacua was still WR26 in PPR leagues despite playing just 10 games in 2024. Kupp played in 12 games and was WR38.
Nacua will likely be the top dog in the passing game in 2025. If healthy all season, Adams will be the No. 2 weapon, but he is entering his age-33 season. It’s tempting to paint the best-case scenario for the veteran receiver but this may be a case of a player being a better asset in real-world football than the fantasy realm.
Top players (Fantasy Pros ADP)
- Puka Nacua (WR4, overall: 6)
- Davante Adams (WR17, overall: 32)
- Kyren Williams (RB12, overall: 38)
- Matthew Stafford (QB21, overall: 126)
- Blake Corum (RB57, overall: 180)
- Los Angeles Rams D/ST (D/ST11, overall: 202)
San Francisco 49ers
What will Christian McCaffrey be in 2025?
McCaffrey was a fantasy football championship winner in 2023. He was the top-scoring running back by a country mile, especially in full PPR formats, in addition to winning Offensive Player of the Year.
Last season was a different story. Injuries kept him off the field for much of the season and when he appeared things weren’t very good. He played just under 75% of snaps from Weeks 10 through 13 with 86.5 total yards per game – his lowest figure since his rookie year in 2017 (67.9). He failed to score a touchdown for the first time in his career.
This offseason, McCaffrey’s been on the field for minicamp, an improvement from a year ago. But San Francisco drafted Oregon running back Jordan James in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. As a powerful back who excels in short yardage and red zone situations, James could hawk some touchdowns from McCaffrey.
With no timetable for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s return and fellow wideout Ricky Pearsall dealing with a hamstring injury, McCaffrey may end up being deployed more as a de facto wide receiver while James and speedy second-year back Isaac Guerendo take up carries. Or McCaffrey could stay the lead back as the 49ers lean more into the run game early on but see fewer end zone touches with James’ arrival. It’s tough to tell.
Top players (Fantasy Pros ADP)
- Christian McCaffrey (RB6, overall: 17)
- George Kittle (TE3, overall: 34)
- Jauan Jennings (WR39, overall: 83)
- Brock Purdy (QB11, overall: 92)
- Ricky Pearsall (WR47, overall: 107)
- Brandon Aiyuk (WR48, overall: 111)
Seattle Seahawks
Can Jaxon Smith-Njigba be a top-5 fantasy WR in 2025?
Smith-Njigba hit 100 receptions and 1,000 yards in his sophomore season in 2024. The No. 20 overall pick from the 2023 NFL Draft made the Pro Bowl and established himself as the top pass-catcher in Seattle, finishing as a top-10 wide receiver in half and full PPR formats.
Seattle overhauled its offense for 2025 notably with a new coordinator in Klint Kubiak. The former Saints offensive coordinator will bring a different system to Seattle compared to last year’s coordinator, Ryan Grubb, and one that should complement new Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold’s skillset.
Metcalf and longtime Seahawks wideout Tyler Lockett are both out. In their place are Washington native Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Neither will likely challenge Smith-Njigba for status as the top target in the passing game.
Smith-Njigba already is a top-10 wide receiver in fantasy football. In Kubiak’s system with Darnold at quarterback, he could conceivably challenge for top-5 status.
Top players (Fantasy Pros ADP)
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR12, overall: 20)
- Kenneth Walker III (RB15, overall: 43)
- Cooper Kupp (WR45, overall: 104)
- Zach Charbonnet (RB36, overall: 114)
- Sam Darnold (QB26, overall: 166)
- Seattle Seahawks D/ST (D/ST12, overall: 206)
