Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or Puka Nacua

Monday, February 10, 6:11 PM

The San Francisco 49ers gave wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. permission to seek a trade this offseason. Samuel is under contract for one more season, and his deal includes a $15 million option bonus. Along with his drop in production in 2024, it could suppress Samuel's trade market, but NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco lists the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans as a few teams that could be interested in acquiring Samuel from the Niners. The 29-year-old former second-rounder had career-lows of 3.4 catches and 44.7 receiving yards per game in 15 contests in 2024, with his per-rush average also dropping to 3.2 yards. Although Samuel is much more of an injury risk with declining production, he does have 42 total TDs in six NFL seasons and will draw interest from receiver-needy teams as a trade target.

Sunday, January 19, 9:08 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua was heavily involved in the Rams' 28-22 loss to the Eagles. He was targeted a team-high 14 times and finished with six catches for 97 yards, including an acrobatic, sliding catch in the snow that will be part of his highlight reel for seasons to come. That catch kept the Rams potential game-winning drive alive, but they came up short in the red zone with under one minute left. Nacua established himself as one of the best fantasy receivers in the game after returning from his early season knee injury. He clearly became the go-to option in the Rams passing game and will be one of the top fantasy receivers going into next season.