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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Deebo Samuel Sr. News
Saturday, August 8, 4:42 PM
The San Francisco 49ers wanted to sign then-free-agent wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. to a contract before Ricky Pearsall (knee) was ruled out for the season, according to 49ers insider David Lombardi. According to Lombardi, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the 49ers planned to sign Deebo and use him as a versatile weapon, as others will need to pick up the slack for Pearsall's Z role. Samuel signed a one-year, seven million contract with the 49ers at the end of July, returning to the team that initially drafted him with the 36th pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. Deebo is set to be San Francisco's WR2 behind Mike Evans and will compete with Evans, George Kittle, De'Zhaun Stribling, and Christian Kirk for targets. Samuel is currently ranked 138th overall (WR56) in the latest RotoBaller rankings, which aligns with Yahoo Fantasy ADP of 141, making him a solid pick in the later rounds.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3.4 | 51.1 | 0.3 |
Brian Thomas Jr. News
Sunday, August 9, 9:05 AM
Sports Illustrated's John Shipley writes that Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. "made a statement" in training camp practice on Sunday as he continues to stand out this summer. Shipley thinks Thomas' performance on Sunday "was the best day overall he has had." Early on, Thomas had "stellar reps" in one-on-one work in the red zone and caught a touchdown pass against Jarrian Jones, who has been one of the team's best cornerbacks in camp. BTJ's strong work continued in team drills, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence connecting with Thomas on a perfectly thrown downfield pass. Lawrence and Thomas continue to show elevated chemistry ahead of the 2026 regular season. In addition to downfield prowess, Thomas is "running crisper routes" and isn't putting as many balls on the ground. Shipley adds that he is "simply looking more and more like the 2024 version of himself," when he opened eyes with an 87-1,282-10 line as a rookie. With teammate Parker Washington's price soaring in fantasy drafts, Thomas is the better value pick of the two in fantasy drafts in 2026.
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 0.0 points this week while Brian Thomas Jr. is projected to score 10.3 points.
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