They've been #1 for me since end of last season. I did not think anyone was in their league at the beginning of this year and I still do not think anyone has risen to their level. Absolutely rock-solid defense, great multipurpose RB, great WR's, great TE, a QB who does not make mistakes, offensive-minded coach. At times, I thought maybe the Bills could hang with them this year, and if played like they did against Miami and Washington, could potentially beat SF on a given day, but it still felt like if the Bills and 49ers played 10 straight games, I think SF wins 6-7 of them. With the injuries to a few key defensive players I feel even more strongly that is how it would play out.
By no means has anyone labeled them as villains. That's a self-imposed notion, not anyone else. You want villains, I think KC continues to play that role week in and week out with the refereeing seemingly always going their way. SF? No.