Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Deebo Samuel Sr.

Wednesday, July 9, 3:34 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk was dealt from the division rival Jacksonville Jaguars for a late-round NFL Draft pick this offseason. The 28-year-old had a fantastic first season with Jacksonville in 2022, but injuries and offensive woes limited his production in 2023 and 2024. Last year, he tallied just 27 receptions for 379 yards and one score in eight games while Brian Thomas Jr. took over the WR1 role. Now in Houston, he is seemingly competing with rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel for the WR2 job behind Nico Collins. ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime believes Kirk might be the favorite to win that job. "The best way to step into the No. 2 or No. 3 role is building chemistry with CJ.. Stroud," Bien-Aime wrote. "And Kirk looked like a potential safety blanket for the third-year signal-caller." While this is promising for Kirk's fantasy prospects, the veteran has eclipsed 800 yards in just two of his seven NFL campaigns, and Houston's acquisitions of Higgins and Noel could suggest they were not comfortable with Kirk in the clear WR2 role. That said, his cost in drafts outside the top 50 WRs makes him an interesting dart throw in all formats.

Wednesday, June 25, 12:18 PM

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is pretty excited to work with new wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. in 2025, and the two have already developed some nice chemistry this offseason. "I'm excited to throw him a little screen and hopefully on the stat sheet it says a touchdown for 80 yards and I didn't have to do any of the work," Daniels said while laughing. Samuel once again battled through injuries in a 2024 campaign that saw him catch just 51 passes for 670 yards and three touchdowns on 81 targets while the Niners offense fell apart without running back Christian McCaffrey. The 29-year-old will be an interesting fit in Kliff Kingsbury's offense, but it's quite possible Samuel's physical style of play has taken a toll on him and caused him to lose a step. Samuel is going to need to be productive after the catch to retain value in fantasy. RotoBaller has him ranked as the WR43 going into the 2025 season.