NFL training camp season has arrived, ladies and gentlemen. Prepare for the onslaught of information, rumors and hype pieces. But fantasy football managers shouldn’t be wary of the influx of info — Scott Pianowski has you covered with one key nugget to know for every team. Next up is the NFC West.
San Francisco 49ers
George Kittle might be the most exciting tight end in the league; nobody at the position makes more splash plays than him. He’s scored a whopping 11 touchdowns outside the red zone in the last three seasons, six more than any other tight end. But those types of plays aren’t always repeatable year-over-year, and Kittle has to make his fantasy juice with very modest opportunity; he has seen 94 targets or fewer in four straight seasons.
Often you have to separate fantasy value from real-life value, and this is one of those instances. Kittle’s game features an infectious joie de vivre and he’s probably building a Hall of Fame resume, but stepping into his age-31 season, I don’t think I’ll draft Kittle proactively.
Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith lost a lot of believers during the 2023 season, but I’m not ready to write him off. The Seattle offensive line fell apart in the season opener, which held back the offense for weeks. Smith played better in the second half and ended the season above code in most efficiency metrics — YPA, completion percentage, sack and interception avoidance and QB rating. His touchdown rate was an eyelash under the league mean, but that’s probably more back luck than anything.
There are tools for Smith to succeed here — three capable receivers, and exciting new coordinator Ryan Grubb. Smith makes sense as an inexpensive upside QB2 for your bench or a possible starter for those who play in Superflex formats.
Los Angeles Rams
Kyren Williams was fantasy royalty last year, finishing RB4 in cumulative scoring and RB2 if we switch to a per-game model. That established, the early Yahoo drafters have pushed Williams into the second round (ADP around 16), and that seems like a prudent move.
Williams is undersized for the position, checking in at 5-foot-9 and 194 pounds. Sean McVay has a history of featuring one primary back, but he’s smart enough to work with his available talent. The Rams spent an early draft pick on Michigan tailback Blake Corum, who’s both thicker and faster than Williams. Chasing Williams’s monster stats from last season looks like a fool’s errand, especially when you consider he has missed chunks of time in each of his two pro seasons.
Arizona Cardinals
Hotshot rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is the splashy name in the Arizona passing game, but take note of tight end Trey McBride, who had a sneaky breakout year in his second season.
McBride secured a starting job for good in Week 8, and he was fantasy royalty the rest of the way. Over that period, McBride totaled 66 catches (third at the position), 85 targets (second) and 655 yards (third). It hashed out to a TE4 ranking over that period, using half-point PPR scoring.
McBride saw a whopping 26.7% target share over the second half of the year, a number that surely won’t repeat with Harrison on board. However, McBride’s modest touchdown count (three) is likely to rise, especially with Kyler Murray playing a full season. The Cardinals don’t have great receiver depth past Harrison, and the octane of the offense is likely to improve for 2024. McBride isn’t a cheap tight end option with an ADP just outside the top 50, but he has the profile and setup to meet or exceed his draft-day cost.