Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or Mecole Hardman

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.

Saturday, December 7, 2:00 PM

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman (knee) was placed on Injured Reserve. The 26-year-old sustained this knee injury during Friday's practice and will now miss at least the next four contests. Hardman has been deployed as a depth receiver this year, as he has seen most of his work on special teams while operating as the top return man. After not catching a single pass during the first four games of the season, Hardman has caught 12 of his 14 targets since Week 5 for 90 total yards. He has also added 62 yards and a score on the ground. In fantasy formats that score return yards, managers should expect rookie Xavier Worthy to potentially return kicks (he already returns punts) or rookie Carson Steele, who is currently listed as the No. 2 return man.