Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel Sr. or Joshua Palmer

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.

Saturday, October 4, 6:41 PM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer has seen his involvement in the offense diminish significantly since his strong Week 1 showing. After drawing nine targets in the season opener, Palmer has managed just seven combined over the past three games, falling behind Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman in the pecking order. Through four weeks, he's totaled only 10 receptions for 138 yards, failing to provide consistent fantasy production or scoring upside. With Buffalo's passing attack spreading the ball around and Palmer's role shrinking each week, fantasy managers can safely move on in all formats. There are likely more impactful options available on the waiver wire capable of offering higher volume and better week-to-week reliability than Palmer at this point in the season.