San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel emerged as a beast in his third season in the NFL. He busted out of the gate with four impact games (9/189/1, 8/157/2, 7/100/1, 6/171) over the first seven weeks (44/819/4). The 49ers transitioned him into a rotational role in the run game in Week 10, leading to sensational success on the ground (80/480/8) over his final 11 starts (including the postseason). The downside of his change in workload was fewer chances in the passing game (54 targets – 4.9 per game). As a result, Samuel only had two showings of value (5/97/1 and 9/159) after Week 9.
He finished the year third in wide receiver scoring (341.2) with eight games in the regular season with 20 or more fantasy points in PPR formats. Samuel averaged an impressive 18.2 yards per catch and 6.2 yards per rush. However, his catch rate (63.6) was hurt by 11 drops. He gained more than 20 yards on 23 of his 77 catches, with nine of those plays reaching the 40-yard mark.
Fantasy outlook: The most significant negative about Samuel heading into 2022 is that he wants to be traded (or get paid for his success). Samuel passed the eye test in a big way, and the 49ers must continue to exploit his explosiveness in all areas. The change to Lance may lower his ceiling and big-play ability. Even with a slide to 70 catches for 1,050 yards and five receiving scores, Samuel should still gain 500 yards on the ground with a minimum of five more touchdowns. I love what he brings to the table, and I consider him a value based on his ADP (16) in early July in the NFFC.
