Deebo Samuel

Week 6 at Atlanta Falcons

Deebo Samuel was held to just 32 yards on two carries and two receptions last week against the Panthers, but he still found the end zone and led the team with nine targets. Samuel now has a touchdown in three of his five games this year and is still the biggest part of the San Francisco passing offense.

Samuel has a great matchup this week against an Atlanta defense that ranks 26th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. It should be a great day for him, and fantasy managers should keep him active once again. We have him ranked inside our top-10 wide receivers this week and he’s one of the best and most consistent fantasy weapons at his position.

Week 4 vs. Los Angeles Rams

Deebo Samuel hasn’t had that “explosion” week in fantasy yet this year – he’s the WR26 in half-PPR fantasy points through three games. However, he’s one of the few players with three straight double-digit fantasy points and has been a steady and prolific part of this offense. The explosion should come.

This week, Samuel faces a Rams defense that allowed 14 catches to Marquise Brown last week. Samuel scored a touchdown in each of his three games against the Rams last year – including the playoffs – and with almost 10 touches per game in his hybrid rusher-receiver role, he’s a must-start in all formats.

Week 2 vs. Seattle Seahawks

Deebo Samuel said he didn’t want to run the ball as much this year, but the coaching staff must not have heard him, because he ran eight times for 52 yards and a touchdown against the Bears in Week 1. He also caught two balls for 14 yards. It was encouraging to see him get eight targets from new starter Trey Lance. It was less encouraging that he only caught two of them, though the nasty weather conditions were certainly a factor. Most importantly, Samuel is clearly still the primary cog in this offense.

This week, expect Samuel to roll against the Seahawks. Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton combined for eight catches, 174 yards, and a touchdown against this defense on Monday night, so there should be plenty of room for the 49ers’ receivers to operate. Samuel had a pair of touchdowns the last time he played Seattle, and he’s a must-start this week as a WR1 option in fantasy.