Deebo Samuel Fantasy Football Week 0 Scouting Report

Deebo Samuel
WR
, San Francisco 49ers

Age: 28
Weight: 215 lbs
Height: 6' 0"

ADP: 23
Depth Chart Ranking: 2

Pts	RecYds	RecTD	Rec	RuYds
184	892	7	60	225

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Scouting report

by Bob Harris

· Jul 30, 2023 · 8:22 PM EDT

SF WR Deebo Samuel - 2023 Fantasy Football Outlook

Fantasy Upside
Deebo Samuel is a true wild card due to his significant drop in production last season. As 4for4's John Paulsen pointed out, Samuel followed up a WR3 finish in 2021 with a WR31 finish last year, though he was WR21 on a per-game basis. Paulsen further noted, in five games with likely starting quarterback Brock Purdy, Samuel led the team in targets (6.8 per game), receptions (4.4), and yards (60), so if he can stay healthy, he should find himself back in the top-20. Paulsen also believes head coach Kyle Shanahan will continue to scheme Samuel touches, so he has a pretty stable floor for a receiver.

Fantasy Downside
When Samuel's career is over, that marvelous 2021 campaign will likely be looked back as the best season of his career. What's harder to ascertain is how much he can rebound after last season's down year in which his receiving yardage dropped by more than 50 percent. The 49ers remain committed to using him as a running back at times, and the physicality of the position sometimes adds up. With Christian McCaffrey on the squad, San Francisco could limit those Samuel carries (he averaged 19.7 rushing yards prior to Christian McCaffrey’s arrival, and 15.7 after). Despite his game-breaking speed, Samuel has fewer touchdown receptions than rushing scores.

2023 Bottom Line
Samuel wasn’t happy with how he played in 2022, going as far as calling it “awful” after 98 touches for 864 yards and five touchdowns. It motivated him to report to training camp leaner and meaner. Still, as Fantasy Pros advised their readers, "Without the rushing equity and high-leverage roles to help pad his fantasy production, Samuel dissolved into a WR3." With a strong cast (McCaffrey, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk) vying for touches, Samuel's range of outcomes is wide. Our current ranking (WR18) and ADP (fourth round) sit right about the middle of that range.

by Brandon Niles

· Dec 06, 2022 · 4:46 PM EST

SF WR Deebo Samuel - Week 14 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 14 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Deebo Samuel had a modest 58 yards receiving last week against the Dolphins, but he caught six of his 10 targets and added five yards on four rushing attempts. He didn’t seem to suffer fewer looks with Brock Purdy at quarterback, which is a good sign given Jimmy Garoppolo’s foot injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season. That kind of workload should lead to production in most weeks.

Samuel has a nice matchup this week against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay ranks 21st in aFPA to opposing wide receivers and Samuel should be able to take advantage in this one. With a new quarterback, Samuel has some risk associated with him, but he still ranks as a low-end WR2 option. Start him.

by Brandon Niles

· Nov 29, 2022 · 5:06 PM EST

SF WR Deebo Samuel - Week 13 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 13 vs. Miami Dolphins

Deebo Samuel caught three balls for 43 yards last week against the Saints. Samuel has been held to single-digit half-PPR points in three of his last four games, making it hard to trust him as we get closer to fantasy playoff time.

The Dolphins have a good secondary and have been average against wide receivers this season, ranking 15th in aFPA to the position. Samuel is also hampered a bit, so keep an eye on the injury reports to make sure he’s active. Assuming he plays, he’s a low-end WR2 option this week.

by Brandon Niles

· Nov 22, 2022 · 3:44 PM EST

SF WR Deebo Samuel - Week 12 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 12 vs. New Orleans Saints

Deebo Samuel had a very 2021-esque stat line last week against the Cardinals, catching seven of nine targets for 57 yards, while adding 37 yards and a touchdown rushing. Samuel has only four touchdowns this season, and last week was his first one since early October, but it was good to see his targets up.

This week, Samuel should keep it rolling against the Saints, who rank 16th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. We have him ranked as a low-end WR2 option with so many weapons in this offense, but the upside is always there and the targets give him at least a quality floor in PPR formats.

by Brandon Niles

· Nov 17, 2022 · 4:22 PM EST

SF WR Deebo Samuel - Week 11 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 11 at Arizona Cardinals

Deebo Samuel struggled in his return from injury last week, catching just two of his six targets for 24 yards. He added 27 yards on four carries, but it’s concerning that in his two games with Christian McCaffrey on the offense, he’s been held to single-digit fantasy points.

This week, Samuel should rebound despite a tough matchup against the Cardinals. Arizona ranks a surprising fourth in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. However, the game could feature plenty of passing, and if Samuel continues to get at least six touches and at least six targets - as he’s done in each of the games with McCaffrey - he should be able to produce at some point. We have him ranked as a solid WR2 option.

by Brandon Niles

· Nov 09, 2022 · 11:03 PM EST

SF WR Deebo Samuel - Week 10 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 10 vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Deebo Samuel missed the game against the Rams before the bye, but he’s expected to return to action this week. The last time we saw him, he caught five balls for 42 yards against the Chiefs. We’ll see how much the addition of Christian McCaffrey affects Samuel’s production, but he’s too talented to ignore.

This week, Samuel faces a Chargers defense that ranks 18th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. Expect him to get his usual full dose of targets, even if McCaffrey ends up taking some of his ground work. We have him ranked as a solid WR2 option this week and he should be active in all leagues as long as there’s no health setback.

by Brandon Niles

· Oct 26, 2022 · 4:58 PM EDT

SF WR Deebo Samuel - Week 8 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 8 at Los Angeles Rams

Deebo Samuel was held to 44 yards on five receptions and one rushing attempt last week against the Chiefs. It was his lowest fantasy output of the season. Also, after 17 total rushing attempts in his first three games this year, he has just seven in his last four. The addition of Christian McCaffrey may further that trend. Still, Samuel has only one game with fewer than seven targets this season and remains the primary focal point of the San Francisco passing attack.

Samuel has a nice matchup this week, as the Rams rank 22nd in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. The Rams are good against every other position, so look for Jimmy Garoppolo to try and make good use of his pair of talented receivers. Samuel is a must-start every week, though his likely diminished work out of the backfield might put him more in WR2 territory than usual. He’s also nursing a hamstring injury, so we conservatively have him ranked as a WR2 for Week 8. Be sure to keep an eye on the injury reports.

Update: Samuel will miss the game against the Rams, so get him out of your lineups. I'm guessing Christian McCaffrey is the biggest beneficiary from Samuel's absence, but he was going to be in lineups anyway.