Who Should I Start? Curtis Samuel or Luther Burden III

Monday, January 12, 7:00 PM

The Buffalo Bills are opening the 21-day practice window for wide receiver Curtis Samuel (elbow) this week, according to head coach Sean McDermott. Samuel has been on Injured Reserve due to an elbow injury since Nov. 28, but he'll be eligible to be activated to play this Saturday in Denver against the Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round game. It's good news for the Bills after Gabe Davis (knee) tore his ACL in the Wild-Card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, although Samuel isn't guaranteed to play against the Broncos. Wideout Tyrell Shavers is also dealing with a knee injury and could be questionable this week. If the 29-year-old Samuel returns in the Divisional Round, he'll likely be eased back into action and won't be much of a fantasy football option. In his six games played in 2025, Samuel had seven catches for 81 yards and one touchdown.

Saturday, January 10, 12:59 PM

Across 15 games in 2025, Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III recorded 47 receptions for 652 yards and two touchdowns on 60 targets. The 22-year-old played his best football of the year down the stretch, recording 21 catches for 324 yards and a touchdown on 26 targets over his final four contests. However, all four of those performances came with fellow Bears wideout Rome Odunze sidelined by a foot injury. Odunze will return for the team's Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Green Bay Packers, which could lead to fewer opportunities for Burden III. The Packers were also one of the NFL's better pass defenses in the regular season, ranking sixth in the league in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.4). However, Burden III's explosive upside is difficult to overlook. Entering the postseason, Burden III profiles as the most attractive wide receiver option on the Bears roster for fantasy managers in playoff leagues.