Deebo Samuel

Samuel's production comes from getting the ball close to the line and letting him work. Through five games in 2026 he has 206 receiving yards on just 39 air yards, so nearly all of his yardage is coming after the catch rather than downfield. He has added 78 rushing yards on 9 carries, and his 5 red-zone targets have turned into a big scoring share: 3 receiving touchdowns on 16 catches. He is listed eighth on the slot depth chart, which suggests his listing is affected by his current status.

On a per-game basis, 2026 is in line with his recent level and slightly ahead of it. His 60.4 PPR points over five games works out to roughly 12 per game, compared with about 11.8 in 2025 (188.2 over 16) and about 10.2 in 2024 (153.6 over 15). That still trails his 2023 pace of about 16 per game, when he caught 60 passes for 892 yards and 7 touchdowns and added 225 rushing yards. His targets have dropped to about 4 per game, down from about 6 in 2025. He has made up for that with efficiency: 12.9 yards per reception, up from 10.1 last year, and more productive carries.

For this week, the decision is simple. He is listed as Out, so he should not be in season-long lineups or DFS builds. Looking further ahead, the Clutch Edge projection of 15.6 points per game is above his current pace, and it is betting on a better version of this role. The downside risk is clear. A low-target, low-air-yard profile depends on touchdowns and yards after the catch, and 3 scores on 20 targets is a hard rate to sustain. Once he is active, the things that would change the read are a target share closer to his 2025 level, steady red-zone work, and the rushing usage he saw in 2023 and 2024. If those return, the projection looks reachable. If his targets stay near 4 per game, he is a touchdown-dependent flex at best.

Written by a language model from the stat lines below. Numbers from Sleeper; the 2026 line is the season in progress.