Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or A.J. Brown

Monday, February 10, 6:11 PM

The San Francisco 49ers gave wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. permission to seek a trade this offseason. Samuel is under contract for one more season, and his deal includes a $15 million option bonus. Along with his drop in production in 2024, it could suppress Samuel's trade market, but NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco lists the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans as a few teams that could be interested in acquiring Samuel from the Niners. The 29-year-old former second-rounder had career-lows of 3.4 catches and 44.7 receiving yards per game in 15 contests in 2024, with his per-rush average also dropping to 3.2 yards. Although Samuel is much more of an injury risk with declining production, he does have 42 total TDs in six NFL seasons and will draw interest from receiver-needy teams as a trade target.

Monday, February 10, 12:36 AM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown caught three of his five targets for 43 yards during Sunday's Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Brown had a quieter start to the playoffs, but he eventually came on strong with nine catches, 139 yards, and two touchdowns over his final two contests. The 27-year-old has shown an ability to produce in a crowded offense, compiling 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season despite fighting to earn opportunities over stars like Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. There are certainly many mouths to feed in Philadelphia, but Brown has shown that he can be the primary receiving option en route to ranking as a strong WR1 for fantasy purposes.