This has arguably been the most successful division in the NFC over the last five seasons or so, representing the conference in three of the last five Super Bowls. And yet, there is a lot of potential for massive changes this year — huge retirements, trade requests, high-profile youngsters, it’s all going to impact Best Ball drafts. So while peeking at our Underdog Best Ball Rankings, let’s cover those big Best Ball questions for the NFC West, from Marvin Harrison Jr. to Cooper Kupp and beyond.
Have questions on how to win Best Ball? Check out Matt Gajewski’s Best Ball guide, covering essential topics like optimal stacking strategies, draft timing and roster construction. Plus, sign up with Underdog Best Ball with promo code STOKASTIC6 to receive up to $250 in bonuses on your first deposit!
Biggest Best Ball Questions for EVERY TEAM In The NFC West
Check out our other biggest Best Ball questions we’ve answered:
Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr. or bust?
There is a sense of optimism with the Cardinals since Kyler Murray ended last season pretty strong and Trey McBride emerged as a top-5 tight end. And the drafting of Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth overall is certainly part of that. The question is, are they going to be too dependent on a rookie?
McBride will definitely suck up a large share of targets — he led the team there last year with 106, and second and third place are now gone. The largest number of targets for a returning player is 58 from Michael Wilson, who is now the WR2 by default. But since Rondale Moore and Marquise Brown are elsewhere, there are a lot of specifically receiver targets up for grabs, and we think Harrison is going to get the overwhelming majority of those. Here is how we rank WRs 1 through 4 for the Cardinals this year.
- Harrison: WR11, No. 15 Overall, ADP 13.5
- Wilson: WR87, No. 194 Overall, ADP 174.0
- Greg Dortch:Â WR88, No. 195 Overall, ADP 208.3
- Zay Jones:Â WR90, No. 199 Overall, ADP 207.3
So the public has Wilson comfortably in the WR2 role — though still way behind Harrison — whereas we have him, Dortch and Jones all clustered in the mid- to high 190s. In other words, yes: Harrison or bust.
Los Angeles Rams: Can Cooper Kupp stay healthy?
Obviously, this is not an easy one to answer; we cannot possibly know for sure what Kupp’s status is going to be two months from now, let alone five or six.
What we do know is that A) Kupp has played 12 games or fewer in three of his seven NFL seasons, including the last two, and B) he is three years removed from arguably the greatest wide receiver season ever. Even in 2022, a year where Kupp played just nine games, he was on a 1,500-yard, 11-touchdown pace. Then last year in 12 games, while sharing the field with a sudden star in Puka Nacua, he was on pace for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns.
Yes, that is a step backwards from the historic 2021 season, but it does show that Kupp can be productive while Nacua becomes the star.
But this is all hypothetical; relying on Kupp’s health is a major gamble, and as such we only see him as a value if he falls well into the 30s. He ranks 35th overall for us on Underdog (27.9 ADP) and is our WR24.
However, Matthew Stafford is really strong value at his 151.2 ADP, as are some other receivers behind Kupp like Demarcus Robinson. So as part of a stack with Stafford, Nacua and others, Kupp could be a major heist if he makes it through the season.
San Francisco 49ers: Who are the WRs Week 1?
The rumors about Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel potentially being the subject of trades have abounded since the 49ers lost in the Super Bowl. Well, now we have an official Aiyuk trade request, so who knows what’s next on the docket?
An Aiyuk trade could bring in another receiver for Brock Purdy, or it could bolster other parts of the team/draft pick cache — or it might not happen at all. Truth be told, there is a wide range of outcomes with this position group.
We can say pretty confidently that Samuel will be there, and George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey are as steady as they come at their positions — so Purdy will not be totally hurting for options if Aiyuk goes elsewhere. But now rookie Ricky Pearsall is dealing with a hamstring injury, so Jauan Jennings may be the WR2 in waiting … ?
Until Aiyuk’s and Pearsall’s futures crystallize, the rankings are tough to rely on as we embrace the prime of Best Ball season. As it stands, though, the only super-solid value at his ADP is Samuel at No. 18 overall (going 20.4 on average).
Seattle Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba — yay or nay?
D.K. Metcalf is the obvious WR1 in Seattle, and we rank him overall right at his ADP of 26.9. But the public is pretty convinced that second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is ready to supplant Tyler Lockett as the No. 2 for Geno Smith. So what say we?
To put it succinctly, we agree:
- Smith-Njigba: WR41, No. 70 Overall, ADP 76.9
- Lockett: WR50, No. 98 Overall, ADP 99.5
We do have Smith-Njigba slightly ahead of ADP in our Underdog Best Ball Rankings, but given where they are in the draft, we are pretty much right in line with the public on both of these receivers.
Lockett had a slight regression in 2023 across the board despite playing all 17 games and leading the team in targets. Smith-Njigba had almost 30 fewer targets than Lockett in his rookie season, but 93 targets and 628 yards are fairly decent volume for a rookie coming off an injury-riddled 2022 college season.
We expect him to take a big leap in role this year, ahead of Lockett, while Metcalf should remain the big downfield and touchdown threat.
