The Washington Commanders face significant uncertainty in their receiving corps as they prepare for Monday night’s crucial rematch with the Chicago Bears. Deebo Samuel Sr. has been managing a persistent health issue, creating questions about his availability. For fantasy football managers counting on the veteran receiver’s production, what is his current status heading into the primetime contest?
Deebo Samuel Sr. Injury Update
Samuel has been battling a bruised heel for two weeks, creating ongoing availability concerns for Washington’s offense. The injury first emerged ahead of Week 5, when he missed the team’s opening practice sessions before ultimately suiting up and performing well against the Chargers.
In that previous contest, Samuel demonstrated his toughness by playing through the heel problem and delivering eight catches for 96 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets. He showed no visible signs of the injury affecting his performance, suggesting he could manage the discomfort effectively.
This week brought a different dynamic as Samuel participated in more practice sessions than last week. However, he was entirely absent from Thursday’s practice before returning for limited work on Friday, earning him a questionable designation for Monday’s game.
Head coach Dan Quinn provided insight into Samuel’s status on Saturday, stating that the team will “take it into Monday” regarding the receiver’s availability against Chicago. This indicates Samuel represents an actual gametime decision for the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.
Quinn characterized the situation as helping Samuel “manage” his bruised heel and noted that he doesn’t expect this to become a season-long issue. The coach’s comments suggest cautious optimism while acknowledging the legitimate nature of Samuel’s discomfort.
MORE: Free Fantasy Football Start/Sit Optimizer
The timing creates additional complexity as Washington will be without Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown for Monday’s contest. McLaurin has been ruled out due to a quadriceps issue, while Brown remains sidelined with groin and knee problems.
Samuel’s potential absence would leave Washington significantly depleted at the receiver position, with Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, and Chris Moore representing the primary options behind him on the depth chart.
Currently leading the Commanders with 30 receptions for 300 yards, 346 scrimmage yards, and three touchdowns through six games, Samuel has established himself as quarterback Jayden Daniels’ most reliable target since joining the team via trade from San Francisco in March.
The Commanders have until 90 minutes before kickoff to decide Samuel’s availability, providing some flexibility for last-minute assessments of his condition.
Samuel’s Fantasy Football Outlook
The prevailing narrative this summer was that the Commanders overspent on a veteran receiver and that while it may help them win ball games, the fantasy impact would be minimal.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Washington is bouncing him in and out of the slot with great success. His target rate is 26%, and while some of that concerns McLaurin’s health, he’s looked great physically.
Read More: Is Deebo Samuel Playing in Week 6? Latest on Commanders Star’s Injury Status for Game vs. Bears
In the 2024 season, 19.8% of his targets came deep downfield, a mark that is up to 34.2% through five weeks. The touchdown against the Chargers was a great display of nonverbal communication with Jahan Dotson, and that’s the type of thing we love to see.
The versatility is hit-and-miss (three carries in two games this season, one total rush attempt in the other three), but if he’s going to be good for six catches per game, any value added on the ground is a bonus.
His value will be dinged a touch when McLaurin returns to action, but that isn’t this week. Samuel is a top-20 receiver for me, regardless of the second-worst completion percentage defense on the slate.
— Kyle Soppe, PFSN Fantasy Analyst