Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or Zay Flowers

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.

Thursday, December 19, 10:40 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers has posted some disappointing fantasy outings over his last few games. In half-PPR formats, he hasn't scored more than nine points in any of his last three matchups. He did, however, finish as a WR2 in their last game against the Pittsburgh Steelers when he found the end zone despite catching only two throws. With Rashod Bateman (foot) and Nelson Agholor (concussion) listed as questionable, there's a chance that Flowers could be the only normal starter in the receiving corps. His volume of targets should remain high which brings his ceiling to a high-end WR2.