Dynasty Fantasy Football Players to Watch: NFC West Edition | How Valuable is Brock Purdy? What About Kyren Williams, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Others?

I started a new series on Thursday where I highlight every team’s best dynasty football players going into the 2024 season.

We started with the AFC West and now will move over to the NFC West.

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San Francisco 49ers

We will start with the Super Bowl runner-ups, and quarterback Brock Purdy.

The former seventh-round pick is just 24 years old and proved last year that he wasn’t a one-year wonder. Still, many fantasy football owners are not sold on him. That means you can get Purdy in startup dynasty drafts for a steal, and if he continues to prove people wrong, you got yourself a starting quarterback for years to come.

I’ve seen Purdy behind Dak Prescott, Tua Tagovailoa and other QBs who are older. Purdy is a better dynasty asset than those two, and probably is closer to ranking 10th than 15th (like I mostly see him near).

Christian McCaffrey is 28 years old, but has shown no signs of slowing down. In dynasty leagues, fantasy owners are always trying to sell their top backs before they fall off, and I think many people chose this past offseason for McCaffrey. I personally think he’s got one more elite season in him, and would heavily consider selling him next season, but to get the biggest return, moving him now is probably the wise choice. 

If you are contending and don’t want to part with McCaffrey, make sure you have a plan in place to replace him in the years to come.

Brandon Aiyuk is the Niners’ top dynasty wideout. Deebo Samuel Sr. is second for now, while rookie Ricky Pearsall is sitting third.

It’s been a loud offseason surrounding Aiyuk, but when he’s on the field, he’s a top-end fantasy wideout. He’s already 26, but still has enough good seasons in him to heavily consider fairly early in a dynasty startup draft.

Samuel is 28 years old, so he’s likely nearing the end of his prime. He’s a player to hold on to if you are competing for a title, but one to try to move if you are rebuilding a bit. Samuel is a player I’d probably shy away from drafting him in startup dynasty drafts unless he falls to a point where he’s definitely going to be a draft steal.

Pearsall could be the guy to replace Samuel in the Niners’ high-flying offense - or he might step right in as a rookie if Aiyuk is traded. The team spent a late first-round pick on Pearsall, so he’ll be given plenty of opportunities to become a go-to wideout. I love getting Pearsall in dynasty formats.

George Kittle is the obvious best dynasty tight end on the Niners’ roster, but he’s also 30. It seems that he’s got several more strong seasons ahead of him, so I’m fine taking him in a dynasty startup as long as it’s not too early. I did a dynasty mock draft earlier where he was my backup tight end, and I love the thought of that.

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams are not as youthful as the Niners across the board.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford is 36, so his career is winding down. He really only makes sense to roster this season if your dynasty team is competing for a title, and even in that scenario, he’s probably just a backup QB (unless you’re in a superflex or two-QB league).

Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are two good dynasty backs on the LA roster.

Williams is a top-10 fantasy RB in most dynasty rankings I’ve seen. At just 24 years old, I’m also all in on Williams and believe he can be a top-end fantasy back for at least the next three or so seasons.

Corum throws a little wrench in Williams’ outlook though. He’s 23 and will probably immediately play a role for the team in his rookie season. Having two backs in today’s NFL is fairly common now, and there’s several instances in which both guys can be decent fantasy options. Ideally, if you get Williams early in a startup draft, you can protect him with Corum - you might not be able to start both guys, but at least then you have the team’s top option for the next few seasons (probably).

Puka Nacua burst onto the scene last year and is one of the top dynasty wideouts in the game now. He’s 23 years old, and really the only knock against him is that the team’s QB situation after Stafford isn’t set up yet. The situation should resolve itself when it’s an issue, so I’m not as worried about Nacua for the long run - he’s a great option early in dynasty drafts.

Cooper Kupp is the only other relevant option in dynasty leagues right now, and he’s already 31, so he’s not costing owners an early pick in startups. He’s a vet to target in the middle rounds if you hope to compete for the next couple seasons. If you roster Kupp and aren’t competing, then I’d trade him away while his value is still somewhat high.

The Rams don’t have any real young, good dynasty options at tight end.

Seattle Seahawks

Geno Smith is the team’s starting QB, but he’s not that much better of a dynasty option than backup Sam Howell right now.

Smith is 33, and probably only will be an NFL starter for two or three more seasons, at most. He’s a good backup option for contending teams in one-QB formats, but should be dealt if you are rebuilding.

Howell started last year with Washington, but probably isn’t a great option going forward if a team bailed on him after a season. He’s still worth holding in deeper dynasty formats just in case.

Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet are two young Seattle backs with some dynasty value. 

Walker is the starter and has better value right now. He’s just 23 years old and still has room to improve, so I like him for the next several seasons.

Charbonnet is also worth rostering at just 23 years old. He’s likely just a backup option this season, but if Walker gets hurt, Charbonnet could play himself into the starting role for the coming years.

DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett are the team’s top dynasty wideouts.

Metcalf leads the way and is usually a top-20 option on the lists I see. He’s still just 26, so there’s still several big seasons in him.

The only reason Metcalf isn’t higher is because of JSN. The 22-year-old had a solid rookie season and should only get better as time passes. He’s probably a top-30 dynasty WR right now, but could easily be a top-20 talent going into next season.

Lockett is 31, and seems to be trending downward going into the season. He’s still valuable as a depth option to dynasty teams that are competing for a title, but otherwise shouldn’t be sought out in those leagues.

Noah Fant is a 26-year-old tight end who has some dynasty value. He’s really more of a depth option than a long-term dynasty asset though. I’d expect Seattle to keep drafting tight ends, unless 2024 fourth-round pick AJ Barner happens to pan out.

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona has several good dynasty options, starting with Kyler Murray.

He showed he can still deliver good fantasy totals after his injury a couple seasons ago, and he’s still just 27 years old. Murray is primed for success now, and as long as he stays healthy, should be looked to as a dynasty starting option for the next several seasons.

James Conner is the team’s starting running back, but it’s rookie Trey Benson who is the best dynasty piece right now. 

Conner can be rostered and utilized by contending teams, but should otherwise be sold while his value is decent. Benson might only spend this season as a backup before being the team’s lead option in 2025. I see him as a top-20 dynasty RB right now (and most rankings agree), and he could sneak into the top 10 before he takes over as a starter (depending on how he looks this season).

Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. is already one of the top dynasty wideouts, and he’s got a chance to be the top one going into 2025. He’s already the unquestioned No. 1 in Arizona, and if he even puts up good numbers this season, will be looked at as the top dynasty wideout going into next season. It’ll cost you an early pick to snag him, but I’d take him probably sixth at the position right now (after Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Ja'Marr Chase, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Garrett Wilson, that’s it).

The 24-year-old Michael Wilson also is a decent dynasty option for the Cardinals. He did some solid things as a rookie, and could thrive as a No. 2 behind Harrison. He’s at least worth stashing for the upcoming season to see how he develops.

Trey McBride is the Arizona tight end you want in dynasty formats. I’ve seen him as high as No. 2 at the position (behind just Sam LaPorta), but I like him third after Dalton Kincaid. Regardless, he’s one of the best dynasty options at the position right now. If you don’t trust McBride after just one good season of production, I’d suggest selling now, because his value can’t get much higher.