Several factors go into building a winning best ball team. One of those factors is identifying which players will let your team down and bust. Another is knowing which players have league-winning upside, especially in the later rounds. To help you build an elite best ball roster, I will identify the most likely bust candidate and potential league winner for every NFL team.
Today I break down the NFC West teams: the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
The average draft position (ADP) used for this article comes from Underdog Fantasy.
- AFC Busts & League Winners: East | North | South | West
- NFC Busts & League Winners: East | North | South
- Snake Draft Pick Strategy: Early | Middle | Late
- Expert Consensus Fantasy Football Draft Rankings
Fantasy Football League Winners: NFC West
Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF): ADP 51.3 | WR28
Last year Aiyuk was the WR15, averaging 11.1 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, outscoring Deebo Samuel on a points-per-game basis. Furthermore, he set a career-high in fantasy points per game, outscoring several big-name wide receivers. More importantly, the former Arizona State star was productive regardless of who played quarterback. Last season Aiyuk averaged 7.3 targets and 11.5 fantasy points per game with Jimmy Garoppolo under center. Meanwhile, he averaged 6.2 targets and 11.3 fantasy points per game in Brock Purdy‘s five starts. After having a career year in 2022, Aiyuk could become a league winner in 2023.
Geno Smith (QB – SEA): ADP 115.4 | QB15
Smith was the biggest fantasy surprise last season. Many expected him to lose his job to Drew Lock. Instead, the veteran had the best year of his career. Smith was the QB5 last season, averaging 17.9 fantasy points per game. Furthermore, he finished fourth in the NFL with 30 passing touchdowns, only behind Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow. Yet, Smith is getting drafted over 85 picks later than those three quarterbacks. More importantly, the Seahawks added Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Zach Charbonnet during the NFL Draft, giving the veteran arguably the best wide receiver and running back units in the league. Smith is one of my favorite quarterbacks to draft outside the top eight guys.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.