The San Francisco 49ers are on a bit of a heater and head into the NFL playoffs with some top-tier offensive weapons. Two of this season’s top fantasy football surprises came from the 49ers’ offense in Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell. But in terms of the WR position, what should we expect from Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk in DFS formats?
Deebo Samuel is electric
I was high on Samuel coming into the season, but even I didn’t expect that he would blow up and become the overall WR2 in half-PPR scoring. He’s been dynamic this season, operating as a top-tier wide receiver as well as a threat in the running game.
Samuel had the most receiving yards by a 49ers player in the last 20 years and was the only one to eclipse 1,400 receiving yards. His work on the ground was a new foil this season, and it made him nearly unstoppable in fantasy. Samuel is the only player in NFL history with 1,400+ receiving yards and 300+ rushing yards in a single season. His 365 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground made him an unbelievable asset.
Brandon Aiyuk had a disappointing second season
Many people had Aiyuk pegged for a second-season breakout after a promising rookie campaign. It never fully transpired, but it did get better as the season went on. Aiyuk was on the field for 90% or more of the offensive snaps in every game from Week 9 on. During that stretch, he averaged 68.5 receiving yards per game while adding 4 TDs. He was the WR13 over that stretch.
Aiyuk turned the corner and provided meaningful value to fantasy managers. He saved his first 100-yard game of the year for Week 18 and caught 14 passes on 18 targets over the last three games, averaging 80.3 yards per game.
DFS expectations for Samuel and Aiyuk in the playoffs
The Niners have a first-round matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, and I personally believe that the wide receivers are in for a big day. The Cowboys’ defense has been opportunistic this season, but they’ve allowed the seventh-most receiving yards to opposing wide receivers. Contrarily, they’ve held opposing running backs to the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game.
San Francisco needs to involve their wide receivers, and Samuel and Aiyuk should be the chief benefactors. Samuel is $8,100 on DraftKings, with Aiyuk checking in much cheaper at $5,400. With Dallas’ ability to slow down opposing running games, Samuel’s upside might be more limited than we’ve seen. Therefore, Aiyuk profiles as a better play at his price.