The 49ers expect WR Deebo Samuel to miss at least a couple of weeks with the hamstring injury that knocked him out of Sunday's win over the Seahawks, according to multiple reports. San Francisco has two more games before a Week 8 bye, which almost certainly means Week 9 is the earliest potential return date.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: Samuel's Cuttable in Some Leagues
Let's get right to it: The name and quality of the team's offense will probably leave a lot of fantasy managers feeling like you need to keep Samuel stashed on your bench until he returns. Even with Sunday's premature departure, he sits 29th among WRs in PPR points per game.
But TD luck has driven that. The veteran has scored three times among just 16 receptions so far, including his 80-yard Week 3 TD that came on a pitch from Mike Evans after Evans' short reception.
Samuel sits just 66th among WRs in expected PPR points per game to date and 66th at the position in target share.
He's averaging just 4.0 targets and 3.2 catches per game so far, despite myriad injuries around him and highly efficient play by his QB.
You, of course, don't need to drop Samuel if you have a spot to stash him. But don't cling too tightly if you need that spot for other help.
Who Can Benefit from This Absence?
San Francisco added Samuel to help with a tattered WR corps, but the team does expect Christian Kirk to start practicing as soon as this week. He has been on IR with a calf injury since the start of the year.
Otherwise, Jacob Cowing, Brandin Cooks, and Jordan Watkins landed just behind Samuel in WR usage against the Seahawks on Sunday. None of those guys looks like a good bet to help, but the San Francisco offense can make any fit as a desperation play.
Cowing easily leads that trio in playing time.
Evans, TE George Kittle, and RB Christian McCaffrey remain the top targets and weekly fantasy starters.
