Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel Sr. or Tetairoa McMillan
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 3.4 | 40.2 | 0.2 |
Deebo Samuel Sr. News
Thursday, September 10, 9:35 AM
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. is back with his former team after spending 2025 with the Washington Commanders. Samuel played with the 49ers from 2019 to 2024, during which time he averaged 55.7 receptions and 798.7 receiving yards per season. The team lists the 30-year-old receiver as starting opposite Mike Evans on their depth chart to start the season. Samuel will be competing not only with Evans for targets, but also rookie De'Zhaun Stribling and safety valve Christian McCaffrey. Tight end George Kittle (Achilles) is expected to be on a pitch count in Week 1, which might afford Samuel some extra looks. In Week 1, Samuel will likely face off against cornerback Trent McDuffie, who has held the receiver in check in their past meetings. Samuel ranks as a borderline WR4/5 in RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings. Given the matchup and competition for targets, Samuel is a risky play in the first week of the season.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 4.8 | 71.9 | 0.5 |
Tetairoa McMillan News
Saturday, September 5, 7:41 AM
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan could see more usage out of the slot in 2026, speculates ESPN's Mike Kaye. McMillan was used almost exclusively as an outside receiver as a rookie in 2025 and had plenty of success, recording 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns on 122 targets across 17 games. However, Kaye writes that the Panthers have spoken about wanting to use McMillan's size and strength to get him more targets in the middle of the field in his second season. McMillan already projects to be the dominant target-earner in Carolina's offense, as he finished with nearly 60 more targets than any other Panthers pass-catcher in 2025. If he does indeed see more slot usage and an even larger target share in 2026, McMillan could emerge as a fantasy WR1.
Deebo Samuel Sr. vs. Tetairoa McMillan
Still trying to decide between Samuel Sr. and McMillan? 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 9.5 points this week while Tetairoa McMillan is projected to score 14.8 points.
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