Fantasy Football Draft Values, Busts & Sleepers: NFC West (2025)

Thankfully, the 2025 fantasy football season is just around the corner. Each year, fantasy players want to construct their team with a proper mix of good-value players and upside sleepers while avoiding players with high bust potential.

In the final part of an eight-part series, I identify two ADP values, two likely-to-bust candidates, and two potential sleepers from the NFC West.

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Fantasy Football Draft Values, Busts & Sleepers: NFC West

ADP via FantasyPros

Fantasy Football ADP Values

Puka Nacua (LAR): ADP 9.7 | WR4

Nacua has been one of the top wide receivers in fantasy football since his breakout rookie season in 2023. The former BYU star was the WR4 as a rookie, averaging 17.6 PPR fantasy points per game, breaking two rookie records. Unfortunately, he missed five games last year with a knee injury. Yet, Nacua had a better season, finishing as the WR2 on a points-per-game basis among wide receivers with at least nine games played, averaging 18.8 fantasy points per contest.

Unfortunately, the superstar left the Week 1 game early because of the knee injury and got ejected from the Week 9 matchup. However, Nacua averaged 10.9 targets and 21.8 fantasy points per game in the other nine contests. Meanwhile, some are worried about Davante Adams’ impact on Nacua’s fantasy value. Yet, he averaged 9.6 targets and 18.8 fantasy points per game in the 11 contests with Cooper Kupp. By comparison, the veteran averaged 8.6 targets and 15.2 fantasy points per game in those outings.

Furthermore, the Rams have produced multiple top-15 wide receivers in the same season with Sean McVay on the sidelines. The only reason fantasy players should avoid drafting Nacua as a top-four wide receiver is Matthew Stafford’s health. Thankfully, the veteran is back at practice after missing time with a back injury. More importantly, Jimmy Garoppolo is a solid backup option who is good enough to keep Nacua and Adams in the weekly must-start category, especially in McVay’s offense.

If Jimmy Garoppolo started for the Rams in Week 1…

Would it actually be catastrophic for Puka Nacua and Davante Adams?

Across five full games in 2023, his top-2 WRs averaged:

[Davante Adams]
> 9.4 targets/g
> 17.2 FPG

[Jakobi Meyers]
> 8.3 targets/g
> 17.0 FPG

Not bad! pic.twitter.com/sT9fpFQHN1

— Fantasy Points Data (@FantasyPtsData) August 13, 2025

Trey McBride (ARI): ADP 27.3 | TE2

Last year, McBride was a popular breakout candidate despite his TE4 and 46.4 overall ADP. He finished the 2023 season on fire after Zach Ertz went down with an injury. More importantly, the former Colorado State star took his game to another level in 2024, finishing the year as the TE2, averaging 15.6 PPR fantasy points per game. While everyone was excited about Marvin Harrison Jr., McBride was Kyler Murray’s favorite weapon in the passing game, totaling 147 targets.

The superstar’s 147 targets were the second-most by a tight end and the eighth-most in the NFL. Furthermore, McBride’s 111 receptions were the fourth-most in a season by a tight end in league history. More importantly, he was outstanding despite the lack of touchdown production. The superstar had seven top-four tight end weekly finishes last year, second only to George Kittle (eight). However, Kittle had six more receiving touchdowns (eight vs. two) despite seeing 46 fewer targets than McBride (92 vs. 138).

More importantly, the former Colorado State star is due for positive touchdown regression. McBride had as many rushing and fumble recovery touchdowns as receiving scores last season (two). Yet, he finished 11th in the NFL and second among tight ends in red zone targets (20). Unfortunately, the superstar was tackled multiple times just short of the end zone. While Brock Bowers is my highest-ranked tight end, McBride should get drafted in the same range, as a mid-range second-round pick.

Fantasy Football Bust Candidates

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA): ADP 33.7 | WR14

Fantasy players should be comfortable drafting Smith-Njigba as the 14th wide receiver off the board, as he is the WR15 in my rankings. However, there are several players with a later ADP that fantasy players should draft over the former Ohio State star, including Alvin Kamara (37.8), Omarion Hampton (38.8), and Kenneth Walker III (40.3). Last year, Smith-Njigba replaced DK Metcalf as the Seahawks’ No. 1 wide receiver, ending the season as the WR9, averaging 14.9 PPR fantasy points per game.

However, he was the WR17 on a points-per-game basis among wide receivers with nine games played. Furthermore, Smith-Njigba was the WR20 on a points-per-game basis without the nine-game qualifier, averaging fewer fantasy points per outing than DeVonta Smith (15.3) and Stefon Diggs (15.2). Yet, the former Ohio State star was a heavily targeted player. He finished 12th in the NFL in targets (133), posting a 22.4% target share and a 23% target per route run rate last season.

Unfortunately, Smith-Njigba only had seven top-24 weekly finishes last year (43.8%). More importantly, the loss of Metcalf was negated by the addition of Cooper Kupp. Last season, Metcalf averaged 7.2 targets per game and a 21% target per route run rate. By comparison, Kupp averaged 8.1 targets per game and a 29% target per route run rate despite playing opposite Puka Nacua. Furthermore, there is a chance Sam Darnold turns back into a pumpkin after having success in 2024.

Jauan Jennings (SF): ADP 100.7 | WR45

The 49ers were decimated by injuries at the wide receiver position last season as Brandon Aiyuk suffered a significant knee injury, Ricky Pearsall missed the first six contests after getting shot during an attempted robbery, and Deebo Samuelmissed a couple of games. Therefore, Jennings had the perfect opportunity to have a career year, averaging 7.5 targets per outing. The veteran finished last season as the WR24, averaging 14 PPR fantasy points per game, 27.1% higher than any other San Francisco wide receiver.

By comparison, Jennings averaged 2.8 targets and 4.8 fantasy points per game over the first three years of his career, scoring double-digit fantasy points in only seven contests (15.6%). Furthermore, the veteran’s production was severely inflated by his Week 3 performance. Jennings had 46.5 fantasy points and three touchdowns, accounting for 22.1% of his fantasy points and half of his touchdowns for the season. He averaged 11.7 fantasy points per game in the other 14 contests last year.

More importantly, Jennings is dealing with a calf injury for the second time this offseason. Whether the veteran is truly hurt or using it as an excuse to sit out training camp over contract negotiations, Jennings hasn’t practiced since late July. Meanwhile, Pearsall has been a superstar during training camp and should be the 49ers’ No. 1 wide receiver to start the year. Fantasy players should pass on Jennings at his ADP and draft Marvin Mims Jr. 4.5 rounds later instead.

Jauan Jennings [Weeks 10-18]
+ 28.4 routes run per game
+ 25.1% target share (WR12)
+ 14.1 fantasy points per game (WR29)
ADP: WR39

Marvin Mims [Weeks 10-18]
+ 12.4 routes run per game
+ 12.8% target share (WR76)
+ 14.4 fantasy points per game (WR28)
ADP: WR58 pic.twitter.com/6ELMbrO4VX

— Fantasy Points Data (@FantasyPtsData) August 13, 2025

Fantasy Football Sleepers to Target

Cooper Kupp (SEA): ADP 87.3 | WR38

Kupp was once the top wide receiver in fantasy football. He finished as the WR1 in 2021, averaging 25.9 PPR fantasy points per game. While the veteran missed half the following season with an injury, Kupp finished as the WR1 on a points-per-game basis, averaging 22.4 fantasy points per outing. Unfortunately, Puka Nacua and injuries have limited his fantasy upside the past two years, averaging 13.7 fantasy points per game in 2023 and 14.6 last season.

However, Kupp is far from washed. He was the WR38 in 2024 and the WR19 on a points-per-game basis among wide receivers with at least nine games played despite his struggles late in the year. Furthermore, the veteran is more than just a solid bench option like his ADP suggests. Instead, the former Eastern Washington star had multiple spike weeks last season despite playing alongside Nacua, scoring 20 or more fantasy points in nearly half of the contests.

Some are concerned about the veteran after he was released by the Los Angeles Rams this offseason. However, Kupp is replacing DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and their 182 targets from 2024 in Seattle. More importantly, new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak had the New Orleans Saints’ passing attack clicking last year before all the injuries happened. While he is no longer a superstar, Kupp is still a solid starting option for fantasy players, especially in three wide receiver leagues.

Ricky Pearsall (SF): ADP 98.3 | WR43

Unfortunately, Pearsall’s rookie season was ruined as the former Florida star missed the first six games after getting shot during an attempted robbery right before the start of the year. He was the WR81 last season, averaging 8.5 PPR fantasy points per game, finishing as the fourth-highest scoring 49ers’ wide receiver behind Jauan Jennings (14), Deebo Samuel (10.2), and Brandon Aiyuk (8.9). However, fantasy players should expect Pearsall to have a sophomore-year breakout, especially given San Francisco’s current wide receiver room.

The 49ers traded away Samuel this offseason. Unfortunately, Aiyuk will start the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list, likely missing at least the first six weeks before potentially spending most of the season on a snap count. More importantly, Jennings is dealing with a calf injury for the second time this offseason and is sitting out training camp looking for a new contract. Meanwhile, Pearsall has been a superstar as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver during training camp.

While he has finally moved ahead of Jennings in the ADP, Pearsall should get drafted as a mid-range WR3 and well before the veteran. Despite getting shot and having a limited role as a rookie, the former Florida star was outstanding when seeing the ball. He averaged 21.6 fantasy points per game in the three contests with six or more targets, totaling three receiving touchdowns. Pearsall can be a league-winning pick with a full-time role on offense.

* via Fantasy Points Data

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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.