Deebo Samuel

Deebo Samuel enters the 2026 fantasy season in a much better spot than he was just a few weeks ago, because he is back with the San Francisco 49ers on a one-year deal worth up to $7 million. That reunion matters for fantasy because San Francisco moved quickly after Ricky Pearsall’s knee swelling became serious, and Pearsall was later placed on season-ending injured reserve, opening up a clear role on the outside for Samuel.

The biggest reason to buy in is opportunity: Samuel should slide right back into the familiar Z receiver role in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, where he has historically been maximized as both a receiver and a gadget weapon. With the 49ers also dealing with other receiver injury concerns, Samuel looks set up for immediate weekly involvement rather than a slow ramp-up.

From a fantasy standpoint, Samuel still carries a slightly lower-ceiling profile than his peak years, but the market appears to be pricing that in. Recent projections have him in the WR4/WR5 range in many formats, which makes him an appealing draft target if you want a proven player with a stable path to targets in a strong offense.

The main risk is durability and volume consistency, since Samuel’s value has always been tied to how efficiently San Francisco uses him and how many touches he gets near the line of scrimmage. Even so, the combination of a familiar scheme, a depleted receiver room, and a short-term contract that should motivate the team to feature him makes him a solid 2026 fantasy pick, especially as a mid-round upside WR2/WR3 flier with a safer floor than his ADP may suggest.