DeeboSamuel Sr.

News: 5 days agoSamuel (ribs/wrist) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Spin: Samuel might've tried to play through his rib and wrist injuries if the 49ers were in playoff contention. As is, he didn't practice this week and won't play in Sunday's game, which could free up more playing time for Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing and Chris Conley behind de facto No. 1 receiver Jauan Jennings. There's no doubt Samuel will be mentioned in trade rumors yet again this offseason, as he has just one year remaining on his contract and is coming off a disappointing campaign for a team that also has Pearsall, Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) at wide receiver. There's been no indication that the rib or wrist injuries will impact Samuel's preparation for 2025.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: The 49ers are flush with talent, making each player's volume difficult to predict on a weekly basis. Christian McCaffrey's arrival, however, appears to have had the biggest impact on Samuel, whose rushing opportunities have dwindled from 3.7 per game in 2021 to 2.5 per contest in 2023. Still, the wideback continued to produce for fantasy managers, thriving in the red area of the field with a team-leading number of red zone looks (17) and 12 total TDs (WR4). While durability is a concern, Samuel's versatile usage and overall efficiency provide him with a sky-high ceiling. Target him as a WR2.