At the peak of his powers, Deebo Samuel was a fantasy football rockstar. Not only does he have a 1,400-yard season on his resume, but he ran for 16 scores over a three-year stretch and has been remarkably durable for a player who plays with the sort of physicality that he does.
Back with San Francisco, Samuel is a 30-year-old looking to bounce back. Father Time is a threat, but this is an offense that could use playmakers and has a workhorse running back who is a flight risk.
Should I Draft Deebo Samuel Sr. in Fantasy Football?
For a player like this, it’s all about role. As you’d expect from a player like this, the YAC skills have regressed a bit and the raw abilities are trending in the wrong direction, but this is an offensive system that is annually one of the most efficient in the league and excels at putting their skill position players in the best spot possible.
With the Commanders last season, Samuel’s yards after the catch per reception were 25.3% below his career norm. This system can only repair so much and asking for anything close to peak-Samuel isn’t responsible.
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That said, what is stopping him from getting a handful of touches per week?
Rickey Pearsall’s 2026 season ended before it started, George Kittle might not be fully deployed until the middle of the season, and if we are worried about the trajectory of Samuel, what are we saying about Mike Evans?
As you can see from my rankings, I’m not high on Samuel and I’m not actively targeting him. That can be true while I still admit that there is a cleaner path to him mattering on a regular basis than some of the other WRs in this tier.
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Betting against Kyle Shanahan is poor practice. Samuel is just two seasons removed from averaging 14.9 yards per catch and hauling in a career-best seven touchdowns. I think this will be an up-and-down season for the veteran and if you can get ahead of the good times, you could extract value in such a way that your team benefits in a major way.
Kyle Soppe’s WR Fantasy Rankings 2026
- Ja’Marr Chase | CIN
- Puka Nacua | LAR
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA
- Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET
- Nico Collins | HOU
- Drake London | ATL
- A.J. Brown | NE
- Justin Jefferson | MIN
- CeeDee Lamb | DAL
- Malik Nabers | NYG
- George Pickens | DAL
- Rashee Rice | KC
- Zay Flowers | BAL
- Jaylen Waddle | DEN
- Chris Olave | NO
- Ladd McConkey | LAC
- Tee Higgins | CIN
- Emeka Egbuka | TB
- DeVonta Smith | PHI
- Tetairoa McMillan | CAR
- Luther Burden III | CHI
- Terry McLaurin | WAS
- Garrett Wilson | NYJ
- Christian Watson | GB
- Jameson Williams | DET
- Rome Odunze | CHI
- Jakobi Meyers | JAX
- Michael Wilson | ARI
- Carnell Tate | TEN
- Parker Washington | JAX
- DJ Moore | BUF
- Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI
- DK Metcalf | PIT
- Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX
- Quentin Johnston | LAC
- Davante Adams | LAR
- Stefon Diggs | WAS
- Jayden Reed | GB
- Josh Downs | IND
- Alec Pierce | IND
- Courtland Sutton | DEN
- Mike Evans | SF
- Michael Pittman Jr. | PIT
- Matthew Golden | GB
- Khalil Shakir | BUF
- Wan’Dale Robinson | TEN
- Rashid Shaheed | SEA
- Jordyn Tyson | NO
- Makai Lemon | PHI
- Romeo Doubs | NE
