Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel Sr. or Calvin Austin III

Sunday, October 5, 10:46 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. stayed heavily involved in the team's offense with Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) missing a second straight game on Sunday on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers. Samuel led the team in targets (11), receptions (eight), and receiving yards (96) while catching his third touchdown of the season in the 27-10 victory in Week 5 in quarterback Jayden Daniels' return from a knee sprain. The 29-year-old has had a nice bounce-back season in 2025 so far in his first year in Washington while being the team's most consistent pass-catcher. Through the first five weeks, Samuel has 346 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns. As long as he can stay healthy, Samuel should continue to be a must-start in fantasy lineups, even when McLaurin returns from his quad injury. Samuel will have quite a bit of upside in Week 6 on Monday night against the Chicago Bears, especially if McLaurin misses a third game.

Tuesday, September 30, 3:31 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III (shoulder) managed just two receptions for 13 yards in a Week 4 victory over the Minnesota Vikings before exiting with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter. Austin was evaluated at a hospital in Dublin, Ireland before heading home for a Week 5 bye. There have been conflicting reports regarding the severity of Austin's injury, but the consensus seems to be that he will miss some time. The 26-year-old had been operating as Pittsburgh's WR2 behind DK Metcalf and displayed encouraging signs of chemistry with new quarterback Aaron Rodgers. There is potential for Austin to become a fantasy contributor later in the season, but it's difficult to justify stashing him through the team's bye in most redraft leagues, especially if he can't be moved to an IR spot.