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- Fantasy Football Preview: NFC West đ
Fantasy Football Preview: NFC West đ
Breaking down each NFC West team's fantasy outlook - player to target, player to avoid, and a sleeper pick for every team!
Arizona Cardinals

đŻ Player to Target: RB James Conner
Current ADP: RB20 (Round 5)
Walterâs Rank (PPR): RB18
Death, taxes, and James Conner outperforming his ADPâŠ
2021: RB35 ADP â RB9 finish
2022: RB16 ADP â RB9 finish
2023: RB24 ADP â RB14 finish
2024: RB20 ADP â RB14 finish
Every year, drafters find reasons to talk themselves out of taking Conner. Every year, he has exceeded expectations. The Cardinals extending him during the 2024 season should curb major concerns about Trey Benson cutting into his volume. He also finished the season playing at his absolute best, scoring 22+ PPR points in three of his final four matchups. He remains an incredibly high-floor/low-risk pick for his ADP.
đ« Player to Avoid: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Current ADP: WR17 (Round 3)
Walterâs Rank (PPR): WR17
Marvin Harrison Jr. was one of the most disappointing picks in fantasy football last season, only because expectations for him were so sky high. As a prolific prospect walking into a situation where he was the WR1 immediately, elite production was expected. His 885 yards and eight TDs do not scream disaster on paper, but the WR43 per game finish was disastrous for fantasy drafters.
The issue was not so much that Harrison Jr. was worse than expected, but more that his usage made it difficult for him to capitalize on his volume. The Cardinalsâ offense forced him to play on hard mode. He led the league in contested targets with 40, was second amongst WRs in press coverage faced, and ran only seven routes out of motion (a minuscule number for a WR with that much playing time).
Its hard to imagine a massive jump in production unless the Cardinals change up the way heâs used. With offensive coordinator Drew Petzing returning and the Cardinals turning over very little offensive personnel, its hard to imagine a massive injection of creativity. Harrison Jr. has the talent to overcome this style of usage, but itâs an uphill battle.
đ Sleeper Pick: WR Michael Wilson
Current ADP: WR82 (undrafted)
Walterâs Rank (PPR): WR63
This one is simple. Michael Wilson is the WR2 in what should be a good Cardinals passing offense and is practically free in fantasy drafts. Nothing about his profile signals big breakout potential, but Wilson will play a high number of snaps and has a decent target rate per route run. He is a WR to keep an eye on in any deep leagues.
Los Angeles Rams

đŻPlayer to Target: WR Davante Adams
Current ADP: WR20 (Round 40)
Walterâs Rank (PPR): WR14
Sean McVay and the Rams have been searching for a boundary WR like Davante Adams for a long time. For the past two seasons, the offense was able to sustain (mostly) elite fantasy volume for both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, who were very similar types of players. There is an argument to be made that Adamsâ skillset is even more complementary to Nacua than Kuppâs, and the veteran will go a long way in solving some of the teamâs red zone woes.
This is a great situation for Adams, who is coming off a messy season with the Jets, where he was the WR11 in PPR fantasy points per game and proved he can still handle a massive load (WR4 in target share). Walter projects Adamsâ ceiling to be the WR5. Do not overthink this one.
đ« Player to Avoid: RB Blake Corum
Current ADP: RB58 (Round 15)
Walterâs Rank (PPR): RB78
Blake Corum was a popular handcuff pick last season because of an incredible final college season and some concerns about Kyren Williams repeating his 2023 workload. He turned out to be a complete non-factor in fantasy, peaking with a 4.2-point performance against the New Orleans Saints in Week 13.
The Ramsâ selection of Jarquez Hunter in this yearâs NFL Draft has decimated any potential fantasy value Corum may have had. He now has virtually no path to a big workload. Corum should be left on waivers for now.
đ Sleeper Pick: TE Terrance Ferguson
Current ADP: TE28 (undrafted)
Walterâs Rank (PPR): TE32
Terrance Ferguson is on this list purely as an upside play in TE premium formats. He profiles as a receiving-first TE with elite athleticism and had consistent production at Oregon. Picked 46th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, he is the highest drafted Rams skill player since Gerald Everett in 2017!
Anybody with that kind of draft pedigree in McVayâs system is worth paying attention to.
San Francisco 49ers

đŻPlayer to Target: TE George Kittle
Current ADP: TE3 (Round 4)
Walterâs Rank (PPR): TE3
The 28 pick gap between Brock Bowers and George Kittle is inexplicable. Kittle ended up finishing as the overall TE1 in PPR fantasy points per game last season, showed no signs of decline in his peripherals, and remains in a situation where he should maintain a dominant target share.
Walter has Kittle and Bowers projected for the exact same ceiling/floor ranges. The gap between their ADPs represents a tremendous value.

Brock Bowers vs. George Kittle compared in the WalterPicks Appâs Draft Tool
đ« Player to Avoid: RB Christian McCaffrey
Current ADP: RB6 (Round 1-2)
Walterâs Rank (PPR): RB6
The upside to drafting Christian McCaffrey is obvious: heâs one of the best fantasy football players of all time, has a workhorse role in a high-potential offense, and has posted elite target volume his entire career.
The case to avoid him is that his age/injury history makes him a potential landmine pick in the first round. His efficiency dipped a ton last season as he played through Achilles tendonitis and a PCL injury. And at 29 years old, itâs worth wondering whether or not his days as an elite back may be over.
He has higher upside than any other player in his range, but the opportunity cost of taking him over players like Malik Nabers, DeâVon Achane, and Ashton Jeanty is massive. This is not as strong an âavoidâ recommendation as other players in this article, but risk-averse managers will probably want to go another direction than CMC.
đ Sleeper Pick: WR Ricky Pearsall
Current ADP: WR47 (Round 6-7)
Walterâs Rank (PPR): WR45
After being drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Ricky Pearsall missed the first six weeks of his rookie season recovering from a gunshot wound. He managed to flash some upside by the end of the season, averaging 18.4 PPR points per game over his final three contests. With Deebo Samuel gone, Brandon Aiyuk coming off an ACL tear, and Jauan Jennings in a contract dispute, Pearsall has a reasonable path to high volume.
Seattle Seahawks

đŻPlayer to Target: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Current ADP: WR12 (Round 3)
Walterâs Rank (PPR): WR15
The Seattle offense is difficult to project. The signing of Sam Darnold to replace a traded Geno Smith was puzzling, and ultimately, there just arenât a lot of proven pass-catchers on this roster. One guy you can rely on, though, is Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who broke out in 2024 to be the WR15 in PPR fantasy points per game.
He closed the season particularly strongly, scoring 18+ PPR points in seven of his final eight games. Walter has his ceiling projected as the WR8, and he is a very worthy target at his current ADP.
đ« Player to Avoid: WR Cooper Kupp
Current ADP: WR41 (Round 8)
Walterâs Rank (PPR): WR47
Cooper Kupp in Round 8 is a bit too rich for our blood. From Weeks 8-14 last season, he was one of the steadiest producers in fantasy football, exceeding 15 PPR points in all but one game. But down the stretch, his production cratered, failing to exceed six PPR points in any week of the fantasy football playoffs.
He is 32 years old, has a long injury history, and lacks the ceiling of guys like Stefon Diggs or Jayden Reed, who are going in a similar range in drafts. Unless the price changes dramatically, Kupp is a guy you can feel good about letting somebody else draft.
đ Sleeper Pick: WR Tory Horton
Current ADP: Undrafted
Walterâs Rank (PPR): WR148 (basically unranked)
Okay, this one is deep. But the lack of established pass catchers in Seattle makes guys like Tory Horton worth paying attention to! Taken in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Hortonâs profile gives him major boom/bust potential. At 6-foot-3, he ran a 40-yard dash in the 92nd percentile and has the tools to be an effective deep threat.
If he hadnât suffered a knee injury in his final college season at Colorado State, he likely would have gone higher in the NFL Draft. Given the question marks in this WR room, Horton is a guy who should be on your radar as a potential early-season waiver pickup.