Who Should I Start? Curtis Samuel or Jermaine Burton

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.

Saturday, August 23, 5:37 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton (knee) exited Saturday's loss to the Colts. He did not return. The wideout injured his knee during the Bengals' preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles and didn't play in the Monday Night Football clash with the Washington Commanders. Burton managed to suit up for the preseason finale, although he caught only one of his four targets for 16 yards before his premature departure. Head coach Zac Taylor couldn't provide an update while speaking after the game, so fantasy managers should consider him as day-to-day. However, Burton's fantasy outlook doesn't look promising even if he gets a positive update about his knee, especially since he's expected to be at least the No. 4 receiver on the depth chart behind Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Andrei Iosivas. If anything, he'll get most of his work on special teams.