Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or Justin Jefferson

Friday, December 20, 11:40 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. will bring the least productive five-game stretch of his career into a Week 16 matchup in Miami on Sunday. He is averaging 3.3 half-PPR points over that stretch, including a 3.4-point performance last Thursday at home versus the Los Angeles Rams. Samuel Sr. reached a low point when he dropped an important 3rd-down pass in LA territory to a chorus of boos from the home fans. He'll have better days ahead -- he's certainly a better player than this -- but at this point, Samuel Sr. is untrustable in fantasy. In addition, Miami's tough pass defense has limited fantasy receivers to the second-lowest total in the league. Perhaps Samuel Sr. sees an increase in carries, with the 49ers down to their fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-string running backs due to a deluge of injuries. It might not matter much, though, as he's only averaging 2.7 yards per carry this year with one rushing touchdown, way back in Week 1. He's projected as a WR4 this week, and most Samuel Sr. managers still in the fantasy playoffs probably benched him long ago.

Friday, December 20, 5:20 PM

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is a locked-in WR1 in a meeting with the Seattle Seahawks this weekend. The former LSU Tiger has been as steady as they come in 2024 -; notching at least 14 fantasy points in all but two outings. Jefferson matched a season-high with 14 targets in last weekend's win against the Chicago Bears and recorded his third straight game with seven receptions. He gets a Seahawks D in Week 16, which has let up the tenth-most touchdowns to wideouts this season (15), and the 25-year-old has gotten into the end zone in back-to-back weeks after a six-week stretch in which he scored nary a touchdown. Fire him up as RotoBaller's PPR WR3 in this week's rankings.