Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or Michael Pittman Jr.

Saturday, November 23, 1:28 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. will line up across from the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday. In one of his most disappointing fantasy performances of the year, the dual-threat weapon was held to 4.1 half-PPR points in last week's home loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Looking ahead things don't look too promising. The Packers have been the 12th-toughest matchup for opposing wide receivers, and the 49ers will be without quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder) and potentially All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, who is questionable with an ankle injury. It's possible that Samuel Sr. could find rapport with backup QB Brandon Allen at Lambeau Field, but the slump-breaking performance that fantasy managers have been waiting for since Week 6 is less likely now. At least tight end George Kittle (hamstring) is back, hopefully taking some defensive focus off Samuel Sr. between the hash marks. Given the uncertainty regarding San Francisco's offensive efficiency in Week 12, consider Samuel Sr. a mid-range WR2.

Friday, November 22, 7:41 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is having a quiet season thus far, but Week 11 gave us hope that he could still manufacture some worthwhile fantasy production with Anthony Richardson under center, garnering a team-high eight targets and turning it into five catches for 46 yards. Week 12 brings a matchup against the Lions in a game that boasts an over/under of 50 points, so there should be a decent amount of scoring on both sides. The Lions have been tough against the run this year but can be beaten through the air, having given up the sixth-most passing yards per game and seventh-most fantasy points to WRs. If this game goes to script, the Colts will be playing catch-up with the Lions throughout, which should mean plenty of targets for the receiving corps. Even though the 6-foot-4 wideout showed up on the injury report this week as he continues to battle through a back issue, he was listed as a full participant all week and has been cleared to play. All of this combined with the fact that six teams are on bye this week make the 27-year-old a low-end WR3 this week.