Who Should I Start? James Conner or Deebo Samuel

Friday, December 20, 11:55 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner is a must-start RB1 in Week 16 when the Cardinals face the Carolina Panthers on the road. Conner will look to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards for a second straight season, entering this game with 973 yards. He has been a workhorse all year, posting ten games with 20 or more touches. The Cardinals have no margin for error if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive, and the offense has relied on Conner to carry the load. Since signing his contract extension, Conner has put together back-to-back games with 90 or more rushing yards. The vibes are high with Conner and the Cardinals' rushing attack, and fantasy managers should trust him in this matchup.

Friday, December 20, 11:40 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. will bring the least productive five-game stretch of his career into a Week 16 matchup in Miami on Sunday. He is averaging 3.3 half-PPR points over that stretch, including a 3.4-point performance last Thursday at home versus the Los Angeles Rams. Samuel Sr. reached a low point when he dropped an important 3rd-down pass in LA territory to a chorus of boos from the home fans. He'll have better days ahead -- he's certainly a better player than this -- but at this point, Samuel Sr. is untrustable in fantasy. In addition, Miami's tough pass defense has limited fantasy receivers to the second-lowest total in the league. Perhaps Samuel Sr. sees an increase in carries, with the 49ers down to their fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-string running backs due to a deluge of injuries. It might not matter much, though, as he's only averaging 2.7 yards per carry this year with one rushing touchdown, way back in Week 1. He's projected as a WR4 this week, and most Samuel Sr. managers still in the fantasy playoffs probably benched him long ago.