Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or Darius Slayton

Monday, February 12, 2:24 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring) had a frustrating Sunday night in the team's 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. The former second-rounder fell to the turf, grabbing his leg in the third quarter but returned shortly after. While 49er fans and fantasy managers could breathe a sigh of relief when he returned, Samuel wasn't able to do much damage after -- or for that matter, before -- the injury. He finished the game with three catches on a game-high 11 targets for just 33 yards. San Francisco also attempted to get Samuel involved in the running game, giving him three carries which turned into just eight yards. He'll most likely be taken near the WR1/WR2 border when fantasy drafts happen in the fall.

Sunday, January 7, 9:01 PM

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton continued his impressive run at the end of the 2023 season, adding five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown to his season-long totals. It's the third straight game in which Slayton has found paydirt. All those touchdowns came from the arm of veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor. With Taylor under center, Slayton became a consistent, dependable fantasy football wide receiver. He finishes the season as the team leader for receiving yards. It's abundantly clear to anyone who has watched a Giants game this season that there's a big need for elite wide receivers. Slayton should be back for Big Blue next season, but he may not maintain his alpha role.