Who Should I Start? Mike Evans or Deebo Samuel

Monday, January 13, 12:26 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans caught all seven of his targets for 92 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's loss to the Washington Commanders. He once again established himself as the top target for Baker Mayfield, but it wasn't nearly enough as the Buccaneers fell to the Commanders on a last-second field goal. Evans is coming off a storybook 2024 campaign in which he delivered his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard season despite missing three games due to injury. The 31-year-old has cemented himself as a high-end WR2 on a yearly basis, with plenty of weekly appearances in the WR1 range throughout his career. Even as he enters his 12th NFL season with time not on his side, Evans remains a top wide receiver and should be regarded as a high-end WR2 heading into 2025 fantasy football.

Monday, February 10, 6:11 PM

The San Francisco 49ers gave wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. permission to seek a trade this offseason. Samuel is under contract for one more season, and his deal includes a $15 million option bonus. Along with his drop in production in 2024, it could suppress Samuel's trade market, but NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco lists the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans as a few teams that could be interested in acquiring Samuel from the Niners. The 29-year-old former second-rounder had career-lows of 3.4 catches and 44.7 receiving yards per game in 15 contests in 2024, with his per-rush average also dropping to 3.2 yards. Although Samuel is much more of an injury risk with declining production, he does have 42 total TDs in six NFL seasons and will draw interest from receiver-needy teams as a trade target.