NFC West Fantasy Preview

Like it’s AFC counterpart, the NFC West has a couple big names, most of who reside by the Golden Gate. San Francisco is the strongest team in the division and their fantasy stars should accumulate a lot of fantasy stats playing within the division. Seattle, St. Louis, and Arizona are a couple of notches below the 49ers but they have a couple of players that you want to own.

QUARTERBACKS

The quarterback position in the NFC West is poor, to say the least. There are zero quarterbacks that I would recommend as a starter on your fantasy team. However, there are some capable backups that you may want to take a flier on. The only quarterback that I would draft from this division is Alex Smith. It’s not that I am sold on his talent, rather it’s that he has an abundance of talent around him. With running back Frank Gore, tight end Vernon Davis, wide receiver Michael Crabtree, and a better offensive line it will be difficult for him to fail in that situation. I would look at Smith in about round 9 or 10 in your draft. The other two quarterbacks that I would keep an eye on in free agency are Matt Hasselback and Derek Anderson. Neither player is worth drafting but each will probably be down in most games and when you are down, you need to throw.

RUNNING BACKS

The running back core is slightly better in the NFC West, with two top ten players available in this division. The first running back off the board from this division should be Frank Gore. Gore is a top five pick and if he becomes available to you outside of the top five, snatch him up quickly. Coach Mike Singeltary has already vowed to run the ball much more than the previous year and the 9ers added two offensive linemen to help them control the line of scrimmage. The conditions are set for Gore to have a monstrous year. The next back I see getting drafted is Steven Jackson. I see Jackson’s spot as the #9 overall pick. Jackson is the entire Rams offense but he has come through in the last 5 weeks of the season for the last three years. Which makes him a valuable commodity to those teams who are making a run into the playoffs. The third rusher I would take is Beanie Wells. Even though he is in a time-share in Arizona, his touches grew as the season wore on. I expect him to have a larger role in the offense and to have a very productive season if he can hold off injuries and fellow back Tim Hightower. The fourth player I like is Leon Washington. Washington had a terrible injury last year that made him expendable in New York. However, all reports state that he has completely come back from the injury and he has impressed in the preseason, so much so that I would not be surprised if he gets the most touches in Seattle. Look for Washington in the 8th round. The last running back that I like in the NFC West is Justin Forsett. Forsett was very much valued last season by management and fantasy experts. However, a new regime is in Seattle and I do not believe that Forsett fits their scheme as a full time runner. I expect him get some limited opportunities but I feel he is being overdrafted in the 5th round.

WIDE RECEIVERS

At the top of the receiving board is Larry Fitzgerald. The change to Derek Anderson at quarterback will help Fitzgerald, as Anderson is more capable than expected starter Matt Leinart to make explosive plays. Fitzgerald is currently going in the beginning to middle of the third round. The next pair of hands that I like is T.J. Houshmandzadeh. “Housh” is coming off a season in which he accumulated 79 receptions, 13th most in the league. His performance last season bothered his fantasy owners mostly because he only had three touchdowns. Last year was an off year for Houshmandzadeh and I expect an improvement from him. I would currently take him in the late 5th, early 6th round. Next, on my divisional draft board is Michael Crabtree. Crabtree had a decent year, especially after only playing in 11 games last year due to a holdout. I have hope for Crabtree to make a huge jump in production this year after going to training camp for the entire offseason, however I do not see him as a #1 receiver on your fantasy team, yet. So I would take him around the 5th round as a mid-level floor guy with a very high ceiling. After the top three receivers in the division there is a drop off in talent. I would look at Steve Breaston and Josh Morgan as a pair of late round sleepers. Both are #2 receivers on their respective teams but I just don’t think they can be trusted to start on your roster week in and week out.

TIGHT ENDS/DEFENSE

When it comes to your tight end and defense you just need to look to the city by the bay for both. First I would take Vernon Davis who I believe is the 4th best fantasy option at tight end. He has become the primary red zone option for Alex Smith and with Smith’s propensity to throw short passes he should continue to score. Since the tight end position in the NFC West is so weak, I would opt to take the Niners Defense. This is an up and coming unit who will face an easy schedule which should give them plenty of opportunities to create turnovers and accumulate you points. Taking them in the 9th round is the highest I would reach for them. After all, it’s just a defense. The other tight end, John Carlson, is looking for a bounce back season. Carlson showed a lot of promise two years ago but was an utter disappointment this year, as was the rest of the Seahawk offense. He is a late round flier or bye week replacement off the waiver wire.

The NFC West has most of its fantasy gold in San Franciso. But don’t forget the names in St. Louis, Seattle, and Arizona. And remember to keep a careful eye on these teams because usually in these situations the surprise players come out to lead you to a fantasy championship.