Who Should I Start? Mike Evans or Deebo Samuel Sr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.8 | 53.6 | 0.4 |
Mike Evans News
Thursday, August 13, 4:48 PM
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans (quadriceps) is not in uniform for the team's preseason opener on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. Evans returned to practice earlier this week, but it's no surprise that he's not playing in the preseason opener after recently missing time due to a minor quad strain that he suffered early in training camp. In addition to Evans, receivers Christian Kirk and Demarcus Robinson aren't in uniform, and star running back Christian McCaffrey is out as well. It's unclear if the veteran Evans will play in any preseason games as he heads into his first year in the Bay Area with the Niners. The 32-year-old future Hall of Famer broke his string of 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons in 2025 in his final year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a broken collarbone that limited him to eight starts. A bounce-back should be coming in 2026 if he stays healthy, but that's a big question mark for an aging receiver who is closer to the end of his career than the beginning of it. For fantasy purposes, Evans should be considered a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 who will be a go-to target for QB Brock Purdy in the red zone.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Deebo Samuel Sr. News
Tuesday, August 11, 10:11 AM
San Francisco 49ers veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. is listed as a starting WR on the team's first unofficial depth chart of the preseason, according to the Bay Area News Group's Cam Inman. Veteran Mike Evans and Demarcus Robinson are listed as the other starters in three-wide sets alongside Samuel, who is returning to the Bay Area after spending the 2025 campaign with the Washington Commanders, where he caught 72 of his 99 targets for 727 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games played. The Niners brought Samuel back after learning that Ricky Pearsall (knee) would miss the entire season. The 30-year-old veteran is versatile and will have more fantasy upside back in head coach Mike Shanahan's offense, but rookie second-round receiver De'Zhaun Stribling also figures to be heavily involved in San Fran's offense opposite Evans. There's also veteran Christian Kirk, who is in his first year with the team. Samuel's versatility will give Shanahan another weapon to challenge defenses, but fantasy managers should not expect the former second-rounder to suddenly have another 1,000-yard season just because Pearsall is out for the year. RotoBaller has Samuel ranked at No. 56 at the WR position in fantasy.
Mike Evans vs. Deebo Samuel Sr.
Still trying to decide between Evans and Samuel Sr.? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Mike Evans is projected to score 11.6 points this week while Deebo Samuel Sr. is projected to score 0.0 points.
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