Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel Sr. or Justin Jefferson

Thursday, February 12, 7:35 AM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. continued to deliver decent contributions in the passing game last season, which was his first with the team. He finished the year with 72 catches, 727 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns, his highest marks in those categories since 2021. He also rushed for 75 yards and an additional touchdown on the ground. Although it was a good but not great year by Samuel's standards, he still finished as the overall WR25 in full-PPR leagues, cementing himself as a low-end WR2 or high-end WR3/flex on a weekly basis. Samuel restructured his contract with the Commanders to become a free agent this offseason, so he'll hit the open market in March. A return to Washington seems possible, but he'll presumably explore all of his options before putting pen to paper. Samuel fits best on a team with an established No. 1 wide receiver, so that he can operate as the No. 2 receiver with contributions as a gadget-type player behind the line of scrimmage or in the short-to-medium passing game. His 2026 fantasy outlook will depend on his landing spot and his eventual quarterback pairing, but for now, we'd expect him to remain a top-30 fantasy receiver.

Tuesday, February 17, 9:11 AM

For the first time since the end of his explosive rookie season, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is being priced outside the top five of the position in dynasty startups. Still only 26 years old, the dip in value is in no way indicative of a decline in talent but rather stems from the poor quarterback play that contributed to his career-worst 9.4 fantasy points per game in 2025. Unfortunately for Jefferson and the Vikings, no quick fix appears to be coming to Minnesota, with the team likely to give third-year signal-caller J.J. McCarthy one more shot to lock down the starting job for 2026. It should come as no surprise if the team also brings in a veteran presence for a training camp competition, though the free agent market is relatively barren. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has long been regarded as a quarterback whisperer, but unless he's able to draw a drastic improvement from McCarthy or whomever he deems worthy of leading the team moving forward, Jefferson's value could continue to slide.