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

Friday, September 5, 4:43 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk (hamstring) has been officially ruled out for the Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. As expected, Kirk won't suit up in Week 1 after missing practice this week. The hope is that Kirk can play in Week 2, but that remains uncertain as hamstring injuries have a tendency to linger. The absence of Kirk should mean that Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel have larger roles in the offense. Nico Collins remains the focal point in the passing game, but both rookies could actually have a decent usage in the season opener.

Friday, September 5, 7:29 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. will make his team debut on Sunday against the Giants after spending six seasons in San Francisco. Samuel pairs up with Terry McLaurin as the team's wide receiver tandem, both players drafted on day two of the 2019 NFL Draft. Samuel is coming off a much-discussed down last season with the 49ers, catching 51 balls for 670 yards while adding 136 yards on 42 carries and scoring four total touchdowns. He wasn't quite as dominant after the catch as he had used to be and had easily his worst production as a runner. But it's also important to remember that he was diagnosed with pneumonia during Week 6 of the season. Before that, Samuel was still very productive lined up outside and from the slot. Now paired with a rising star at quarterback in Jayden Daniels and perhaps the next best offensive mind to utilize his strengths in Kliff Kingsbury, Samuel could be primed for a dynamic bounce-back season. His connection with Daniels has been on display all camp, and he could be relied on more if McLaurin takes a bit to get ramped up. Samuel should be viewed as a WR3 with upside for Week 1 against the Giants.