Week 17 vs San Francisco 49ers
Curtis Samuel was shut down last week as he caught just one pass for 16 yards. He also ran twice for four yards, although Washington has pulled back considerably on getting Samuel rush attempts. Last season Samuel had 38 attempts on the ground and so far this year he has just six. This week, Samuel faces the 49ers (18th aFPA) and will have a new QB in Jacoby Brissett. Samuel has seen four targets out of Brissett's 23 pass attempts over the past two games, one of which resulted in a TD. Samuel is a mid-tier WR3 option for Week 17.
Week 16 at New York Jets
Curtis Samuel had his best game of the season last week, finishing 5-41-2, catching a touchdown from two different quarterbacks. Samuel also saw nine targets, which was second-most on the team. We'd expect Samuel to come back to reality in Week 16 as he faces a tough matchup against the Jets (1st aFPA). Samuel should be viewed as a low-end WR3 or a WR4 for Week 16.
Week 15 at Los Angeles Rams
Curtis Samuel was the only Washington WR to have any sort of real production in the Commanders' last game, finishing 4-65 on five targets. The rest of the WR group combined had 25 yards. While Samuel led the way in that game, he's been a somewhat hit-or-miss player this season. This week he faces a middle-of-the-road Rams defense (18th aFPA). He'll again be a risky option given his volatility, but he's a decent mid-tier WR3 option for Week 15.
Week 13 vs. Miami Dolphins
Curtis Samuel came out of nowhere to lead Washington in targets last week with 12. And he turned it into his best game of the year with a season-high in catches (9) and receiving yards (100). Samuel had a decent start to the season, but started to fade out of relevance, averaging 14.5 yards per game in his last four outings before Week 12. We'll see which Samuel shows up in Week 13 in a favorable matchup vs. the Dolphins (30th aFPA). Samuel carries some risk, but he's a high-risk high-reward WR3 option this week.
Week 8 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Curtis Samuel saw eight targets last week, but didn't produce much, finishing 4-25. Despite the lackluster game, Samuel continues to be a big part of this offense as he's second on the team in targets (tied), receptions and receiving yards. This week, Samuel draws a favorable matchup against the Eagles (29th aFPA), a team he faced earlier in the season. In that game, Samuel finished 7-51 on eight targets. We like Samuel as a low-end WR3 option vs. Philly in Week 8.
Week 7 at New York Giants
Curtis Samuel had another solid outing last week, finishing 4-42-1. Samuel has now scored in three consecutive games. He's also topped 50 receiving yards in four of his six games this season. Samuel continues to produce, and has greatly out-paced his ADP as he was mostly an afterthought heading into the season. He's matched Jahan Dotson in targets, but the production between the two is very different. This week Samuel gets an OK matchup vs. the Giants (13th aFPA). He should be viewed as a WR3 for Week 7.
Week 6 at Atlanta Falcons
Curtis Samuel continues to be productive after putting up a stat line of 6-65-1 in Week 5. This comes after he finished 7-51 in Week 4. Samuel is pretty much even with Terry McLaurin when it comes to team leads in targets, receptions and receiving yards so far this season. And he's out-producing Jahan Dotson in receptions and yards despite actually seeing fewer targets. This week Samuel gets a tough matchup against the Falcons who are 3rd in aFPA to WRs. We like Samuel as a low-end WR3 or a WR4 option for Week 6.
Week 5 vs Chicago Bears
Curtis Samuel was sort of seen as an afterthought heading into the year, but he's been surprisingly productive so far. In Week 4, he saw eight targets and caught seven passes for 51 yards. Samuel is second on the team in receptions and receiving yards on the season, out-pacing teammate Jahan Dotson. Samuel should continue to be involved in Week 5 as he draws a matchup against a bad Bears defense. He is listed on the injury report with a quad injury, but he's expected to play. Samuel can be viewed as a mid-tier WR3 option this week.
Week 4 at Philadelphia Eagles
Curtis Samuel has maintained relevance in 2023 as he surprisingly leads all Washington players in receiving yards (127) through three games this season. He's also tied with Jahan Dotson for receptions on the team (10), and has had 19 yards on the ground with two carries. He's a hard player to trust in fantasy since Terry McLaurin and Dotson offer more upside, but we can't fully ignore his production, either. Samuel should be viewed as a WR4 option in a Week 4 matchup against the Eagles.
Week 2 at Denver Broncos
Curtis Samuel was fairly involved in Week 1 as he finished 5-54 on five targets. He also ran once for six yards. His five receptions tied the team lead in catches, and his 54 receiving yards led the team. Samuel also played a healthy 65% of the offensive snaps. Samuel faces a tough Week 2 opponent, though. The Broncos up the 4th-fewest fantasy points to WRs last season. Samuel is also on the injury report with a hip injury. Samuel should be viewed in the WR4 range for Week 2.
