Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel Sr. or Brian Thomas Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 3.4 | 40.2 | 0.2 |
Deebo Samuel Sr. News
Thursday, September 10, 11:30 PM
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. was productive in his first game back with the team in their season opener against the Rams despite his limited role. Samuel entered the game from the bench and finished with six catches for 48 yards and one touchdown on seven targets. The versatile veteran also handled one carry for 12 rushing yards and two kickoffs for 74 return yards. Samuel ranked third in snap share among the 49ers' wide receivers behind Mike Evans and Demarcus Robinson, and likely would have finished behind De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) had the rookie not exited the game due to an injury in the second quarter. The vague receiver roles and frequent rotations make it hard to predict how and when Samuel will be used, but if Stribling misses time, he should see greater involvement. Samuel might be a flex play in Week 2, when the 49ers face off against the Miami Dolphins.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.4 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 3.4 | 49.7 | 0.3 |
Brian Thomas Jr. News
Friday, September 11, 8:57 PM
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. took a major step backward in his second pro season last year, and he remains a very uncertain wide receiver for fantasy managers in 2026. Thomas went from ranking as the WR4 in 2024 to the WR44 in 2025. While he did miss three games last year, that brief absence doesn't account for the 45% reduction in receptions, 45% reduction in receiving yards, and 80% reduction in touchdowns from Year 1 to Year 2 in the NFL. More likely than not, we can blame his step backward on a mix of talent and surroundings. Not only did he look like a different, less dominant receiver last year, but he also faced more competition with Travis Hunter's arrival to the NFL, Parker Washington's breakout, and the Jaguars' midseason trade for Jakobi Meyers. Unfortunately for Thomas, those three receivers are back this year, and tight end Brenton Strange could also be on the brink of handling a larger target share. Thomas continues to be plagued by uncertainty in fantasy football, dropping him to the low-end WR3 tier for the time being.
Deebo Samuel Sr. vs. Brian Thomas Jr.
Still trying to decide between Samuel Sr. and Thomas Jr.? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Deebo Samuel Sr. is projected to score 9.5 points this week while Brian Thomas Jr. is projected to score 10.4 points.
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