Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or Ja'Marr Chase

Wednesday, January 8, 3:30 PM

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Wednesday that the plan is to bring wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. back for the 2025 season. After signing receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) to a hefty extension before the start of the 2024 season, it was assumed that the Niners would likely move on from Samuel heading into 2025 given his significant salary-cap hit. In addition to the decision regarding the future of Samuel, who missed the Week 18 regular-season finale due to rib and wrist injuries, the 49ers will also be navigating a long-term extension for quarterback Brock Purdy. If the Niners change their mind on the 28-year-old Samuel, he could be a trade candidate with one year left on his deal. In 15 games in 2024, he had 51 catches for 670 yards and only three touchdowns despite Aiyuk and running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) missing significant time with injuries.

Saturday, January 4, 11:33 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase caught 10 of his 14 targets for 96 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's win over the Steelers. The former LSU Tiger didn't find the end zone in Week 17 versus the Broncos. However, he showed up in a big way on Saturday to help keep the Bengals' postseason hopes alive. With that said, Chase has had an impressive year, amassing 1,708 yards, 127 grabs, and 17 touchdowns, making him a top-five overall option in fantasy drafts entering the 2025-26 campaign.