Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel Sr. or Malik Nabers

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.

Friday, February 6, 6:22 AM

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) told ESPN's Jordan Raanan that his rehab has been "phenomenal." Nabers suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee on Sept. 28 and had surgery in late October. The 22-year-old's recovery time will be extended due to the full meniscus repair he underwent, in addition to his ACL surgery. However, since his injury occurred so early in the previous season, Nabers has a chance to be ready for the start of training camp in late July. We will be keeping a close eye on Nabers' progress throughout the offseason. The former sixth overall pick's progress as we approach training camp will determine his 2026 fantasy value. In his rookie campaign in 2024, Nabers caught 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns on 170 targets. With promising young quarterback Jaxson Dart now in the picture, Nabers' fantasy ceiling could be even higher despite suffering a significant knee injury in 2025.