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Fantasy Football Breakout Candidates in 2024 - NFC West

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Ellis Johnson selects a fantasy football player on each NFC West team for the 2024 season. These are players who have the talent and opportunity to become league- winners.

The NFC West is loaded with potent offenses and a variety of defensive abilities. From the reigning NFC champs to the new home of Marvin Harrison Jr., it’s easy to get excited about this division.

Although this division has some outstanding NFL talent, it’s predominantly made up of players who have already broken out. If you have followed these articles, you know I avoid selecting rookies, further narrowing down the potential options.

In this series, I select a potential fantasy breakout player for each of the 32 NFL teams. I have divided the teams by division and sequenced the players in from most to least confident in a breakout season. If this is your first article of mine, thank you for checking it out and please check out my other work!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Seattle Seahawks Fantasy Football Breakout

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR, SEA)

In my intro, I discussed how there aren’t a lot of players to choose from in this division. That might be true for the other three teams, but this one is a slam dunk. JSN was a highly touted prospect and the first WR selected in the 2023 draft. Praised for his all-around skill set and slick route running, there is plenty to be excited about this season.

Unfortunately, the Seahawks ran into some passing regression in 2023 and JSN was unable to consistently be on the field over his teammate, Tyler Lockett. Although Lockett is back, JSN has received plenty of praise out of camp and should have the second receiving role locked down. 

The team also brought in offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb from the University of Washington. Grubb organized a high-flying offense last season with Michael Penix Jr. under center and heavily using three main receivers (Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan), who were all selected in the first three rounds of this year's draft. That opens the door for JSN to produce even if Lockett continues to take snaps away from him. This could be the first pass-heavy Seattle team we’ve seen in a while and JSN could be a huge part of it.

 

San Francisco 49ers Fantasy Football Breakout

Ricky Pearsall (WR, SF)

I’m going to cheat on this one. I have managed to avoid rookies for this entire series; however, I think he is the only realistic option here. The 49ers are stacked with veterans across the board, with Deebo Samuel Sr., Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and even Elijah Mitchell having breakout moments.

Especially in light of the recent news that Aiyuk has officially requested a trade, this year’s first-round selection deserves to be highlighted in this article. Coming into the league, Pearsall was a surprise first-round selection. The surprise was not hated by most fans, as Pearsall is a very solid prospect. With good hands and a feel for the game, his main weakness was contested catches. Thankfully, when you play for Kyle Shanahan, players are rarely found in contested situations.

Last season, Aiyuk truly broke out in this offense, finishing as the WR14. Although Pearsall does not have the profile to step into this exact role if Aiyuk is traded, he will be leaned on a lot in the passing game. If Aiyuk is not a 49er come September, Pearsall joins the likes of Keon Coleman and Ladd McConkey as rookies with an immediate path to target volume.

 

Arizona Cardinals Fantasy Football Breakout

Michael Wilson (WR, ARI)

From one second-year WR to another, Wilson also flashed some playmaking last season. The Stanford product was selected by the Cardinals in the third round of the 2023 draft. As a prospect, he was praised for his toughness after the catch and the intensity of which he played the game.

Last season, without Kyler Murray for a significant portion, Wilson tallied nearly 600 yards and three scores. More impressively, he had six games with over 50 yards. With the departure of Marquise Brown and the main incoming competition being veteran journeyman Zay Jones, Wilson should be the second outside WR. 

Both the emergence of Trey McBride and the addition of Marvin Harrison Jr. in the draft means Wilson may struggle to see weekly volume. However, he did enough last season to keep an eye out for this season.

 

Los Angeles Rams Fantasy Football Breakout

Colby Parkinson (TE, LAR)

I’ll be honest, this is a very lackluster name to finish this edition. Regardless, Parkinson fits the bill for a breakout player in a great situation. For some reason, the Rams aren’t always viewed as a great offense, despite being electric last season. With head-coaching savant Sean McVay, perennially underrated Matthew Stafford, as well as Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and Kyren Williams, it’s not hard to see why this offense could be fantasy gold. 

The auxiliary piece on this offense is Colby Parkinson. Seattle’s fourth-round pick in 2020 joined the Rams on a three-year,  $22.5 million deal this offseason. With Tyler Higbee tearing his ACL and MCL in the team’s final game last season, Parkinson was a necessary addition to the team. Although Higbee only ever had one stretch of fantasy relevance (and it was an elite stretch), this team likes to use the same players on the field for every down. With Parkinson’s blocking prowess and athleticism, these snaps could lead to some fantasy spike weeks in a high-powered offense.



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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Junior Caminero

Day-to-Day With Back Tightness
Will Smith

Won't Return When First Eligible
Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
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LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
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Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
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Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
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Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
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Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
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Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
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to Miss Rest of Regular Season
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Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
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Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
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Expected to Return in Week 3
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Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
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on Track to Start Thursday
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Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

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Officially Active on Monday Night
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Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
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Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
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Returns Against Rangers
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Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
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Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
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Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
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Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

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Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

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Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Garrett Crochet

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Quentin Grimes

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Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
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Chase Elliott

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Samuel Girard

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Josh Berry

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