Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or Bucky Irving

Wednesday, October 23, 6:16 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (wrist/illness) did not practice on Wednesday. Samuel has been battling a wrist injury for a couple of weeks and he was limited to four snaps in Week 7 for what was described as a "pneumonia-like" illness. Samuel was even hospitalized with fluid in his lungs and was released on Tuesday. It sounds like Samuel is back with the team this week which is a good sign that his recovery is going well. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan has remained non-committal on Samuel's status for the weekend. However, the hope is that Samuel will be able to play against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8. If he can play, then Deebo is in line for a huge workload. None of the 49ers' main weapons practiced on Wednesday. Someone will need to catch passes for this team and should have a good time doing so against a lackluster Cowboys defense. In Samuel's five full games in 2024 he has recorded 335 receiving yards and a touchdown. He also has 51 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Tuesday, October 22, 10:38 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving had another productive performance in the team's Monday night loss to the Baltimore Ravens despite the return of Rachaad White to this crowded backfield. Irving had nine carries for 23 yards and a touchdown while adding three receptions (three targets) for 54 yards through the air. It's the second straight week the impressive rookie RB has scored on the ground. However, White led the backfield with 10 carries for a team-high 40 rushing yards and also caught six passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns in his first game back from injury. Meanwhile, Sean Tucker also had six touches as the Bucs involved all three backs in the 41-31 loss. White's return surely will cap the 22-year-old Irving's fantasy upside, but as long as he remains involved on the ground and through the air, he'll at least have RB3/flex appeal on a weekly basis.