Deebo Samuel Sr. Fantasy Stats

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 Kyle 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.

The San Francisco Standard's David Lombardi said on Monday that San Francisco 49ers veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. split the position drill portion of practice between running backs and wide receivers in training camp practice on Monday, which is something he never did in his first stint with the team from 2019 to 2024. Lombardi added that it was a good visualization of "a role that'll be even more versatile than his first time with the team." The 30-year-old has always been versatile, especially in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, and his usage with the RBs on Monday was most likely due to all of the team's options at the position being held out due to injuries to begin the week, including star Christian McCaffrey. At this point in his career, the Niners may not want to use Samuel extensively as a runner unless they're desperate for backfield bodies. He's no spring chicken anymore and averaged a career-low 10.1 yards per catch in 16 games with the Washington Commanders in 2025. With Ricky Pearsall (knee) out for the year, Samuel figures to battle for WR3 duties with rookie De'Zhaun Stribling behind Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. Samuel is more exciting in fantasy in his return to the Bay Area, but fantasy managers shouldn't overvalue him as anything more than a low-upside WR4/5 in 2026.

The San Francisco 49ers wanted to sign then-free-agent wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. to a contract before Ricky Pearsall (knee) was ruled out for the season, according to 49ers insider David Lombardi. According to Lombardi, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the 49ers planned to sign Deebo and use him as a versatile weapon, as others will need to pick up the slack for Pearsall's Z role. Samuel signed a one-year, seven million contract with the 49ers at the end of July, returning to the team that initially drafted him with the 36th pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. Deebo is set to be San Francisco's WR2 behind Mike Evans and will compete with Evans, George Kittle, De'Zhaun Stribling, and Christian Kirk for targets. Samuel is currently ranked 138th overall (WR56) in the latest RotoBaller rankings, which aligns with Yahoo Fantasy ADP of 141, making him a solid pick in the later rounds.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. will play all over the field in 2026, according to general manager John Lynch. When asked about Samuel's role for 2026, Lynch said, "You're going to see him in the return game, you're going to see him some at receiver, you're going to see him some at running back. We're going to use him all over the field, and we're really excited to have Deebo back." Samuel signed a one-year, $7 million deal to return to San Francisco, where he spent the first six seasons of his career, totaling nearly 6,000 scrimmage yards and 42 touchdowns in 81 games with the team. With young receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) done for the season after electing to undergo surgery to repair his PCL, Samuel steps into a potential WR2 role behind Mike Evans. While Samuel is now 30 years old and has been trending downward in his career, he can still be a factor in fantasy and should be rostered in most fantasy formats.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. took part in team drills during his first practice back with the team and turned one catch into a big gain, according to David Lombardi. Lombardi said he had not expected Samuel to jump into team work so quickly and added that the veteran looked great. Samuel returned to San Francisco after one season in Washington, where he caught 72 passes for 727 yards and five touchdowns while adding 75 yards and another score on 17 carries. The reunion comes after Ricky Pearsall was ruled out for the season because of a PCL injury, leaving the 49ers in need of immediate help at receiver. One practice does not establish Samuel's role, but stepping directly into team drills and creating after the catch is an encouraging start. His fantasy value will depend on how much of his old role returns, but the first practice could hardly have gone better.

Newly signed San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. had a deal on the table from the Indianapolis Colts before deciding to return to the 49ers, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The Colts have been looking to add another receiver to their room, with Alec Pierce (ankle) dealing with an injury and Josh Downs as the only receiver in their current room to tally over 500 yards in any season of their career. While Samuel chose the 49ers over the Colts, that doesn't shut the door on Indianapolis adding another receiver in free agency. Players like Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, and Keenan Allen remain on the market looking for deals. While the trade of Michael Pittman Jr. to the Steelers has vacated targets for Pierce and Downs, adding any of those three free agents would increase risk to their current fantasy value.

The San Francisco 49ers signed free-agent wide receiver Deebo Samuel on Thursday. According to Jordan Schultz, they've agreed on a one-year, $7 million deal for the upcoming 2026-2027 campaign. It was rumored that the two sides were interested in a reunion after Samuel left for the Washington Commanders last season. The 49ers are in need of reinforcements after the news that fellow wideout Ricky Pearsall (knee) could miss the entire season. Samuel figures to immediately slot alongside Mike Evans as the No. 2 wideout on this roster. The expectation is that rookie De'Zhaun Stribling and Christian Kirk will compete for the third wideout spot, assuming Pearsall is truly out for the year. Samuel is coming off a 72-catch season with the Commanders in 2025. He should be able to offer around top-30 upside at his position.

With training camps opening around the league, teams are likely working through their lists of available free agents in the event an injury opens an unexpected roster spot, and one unsigned player who believes he still has plenty of good football ahead of him is veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. In a recent video posted to his YouTube channel, Samuel touched upon the emotional rollercoaster of the free agent process and stated outright, "[I] still feel like I got a lot, at least like three, four good years left." The 30-year-old former All-Pro spent his 2025 season with the Washington Commanders after six, at times, electric years with the 49ers. While the physical toll on his body has prevented him from matching his star-making performance of 2021, in which he racked up 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns, he did lead the Commanders across all major receiving categories last season and still has the versatility to make him a fantasy-viable player in the right home in 2026.

Free-agent wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. remains unsigned after a useful season that also showed how much his fantasy profile has changed. He caught 72 of 99 targets for 727 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games with Washington, adding 75 yards and another score on 17 carries. The 72 receptions were the second-most of his career. The 10.1 yards per catch were his lowest. Injuries elsewhere in the Commanders receiving corps pushed Samuel into more work than originally planned, and he handled it without recapturing his old ceiling. He has not reached 900 receiving yards since 2021, while the rushing workload that once separated him has continued to shrink. Samuel is now 30, and his next offense matters more than his name. A team could still make good use of him on underneath targets and designed touches, but there is no weekly role to project until he signs. Rebuilders should not give him away while his value is depressed. Contenders should not buy on reputation alone. Hold for now, then reassess once his team and role become clear.

With the start of NFL training camps rapidly approaching, veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. remains without a home for the 2026 season. Across 16 games for the Washington Commanders in 2025, Samuel Sr. recorded 72 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns on 99 targets. The 30-year-old also provided modest production as a rusher, collecting 75 yards and a score on 17 carries. Samuel Sr. is not the same explosive player he once was at his peak. Still, he was a reasonably productive player last season who should presumably have a job in 2026 if he wants to keep playing. Samuel Sr. finished as the WR34 by per-game PPR scoring in 2025, but he's currently coming off the board as the WR64 by redraft ADP. Even with age-related regression and role uncertainty baked in, Samuel Sr. has a solid chance to outperform his current ADP in 2026.