Who Should I Start? Curtis Samuel or Christian Watson

Friday, September 5, 1:53 PM

Wide receiver Curtis Samuel was a top-50 fantasy WR from 2022-23 with the Washington Commanders, but he fell off a cliff in his first year with the Buffalo Bills last season. After dealing with a nagging toe injury and managing just 31 catches, 253 receiving yards, and one touchdown in 14 games, Samuel will open 2025 against a high-end Baltimore Ravens defense on Sunday. Samuel is worth avoiding this week, especially after a hamstring issue shelved him for most of the summer. The 29-year-old is not on the injury report heading into Week 1, and considering his respectable track record, Samuel could get back on the fantasy radar if he starts this season looking more like he did in Washington. He came around a bit at the end of last season with two TD grabs in three playoff games, including a 55-yarder in a wild-card round win over the Denver Broncos.

Tuesday, August 26, 6:06 PM

The Green Bay Packers officially placed wide receiver Christian Watson (knee) on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list on Tuesday, according to Packers.com writer Wes Hodkiewicz. This was always the expectation for Watson after he tore the ACL in his right knee in the Week 18 regular-season finale late last year, and now it's official. The move means that the 26-year-old will miss at least the first four games of the 2025 campaign despite the fact that he was getting glowing reviews during his rehab during training camp this summer. His first chance to make his season debut will come in Week 6 on Oct. 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals -- the Packers have a bye in Week 5. Green Bay is probably going to ease Watson back when he's ready, so fantasy managers in 12-team leagues can probably stay away for now, especially given the crowded nature of the team's receiving room.