The San Francisco 49ers will face the Detroit Lions in Week 17. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding WR Deebo Samuel.
Is Deebo Samuel Playing in Week 17?
Samuel is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play on Monday.
We’ll continue to monitor the 49ers injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Deebo Samuel in Week 17?
Samuel has produced 15% below PPR expectations this season, the lowest rate of his otherwise very efficient career. His points per target (1.57) also sits at a career low, and his expected points per game are down 6.4% from a season ago.
There are no two ways about it — 2024 has been a tough season for anyone who drafted Samuel. That said, if you’ve patchworked things together up to this point, we are finally getting the usage that we thought we’d get from the jump.
Week 16’s loss in Miami was his first game with 5+ targets and 5+ rush attempts since Week 1, and it might just stick, given the injuries on the offensive side of the ball for San Francisco. He’s run the ball 12 times over his past three games, up from one attempt (for minus one yard) in his previous three games.
Better late than never, but never late is better.
Samuel turns 29 in less than a month and has more wear and tear at this age than more traditional receivers. I’m Flexing him this week, but his 2025 value is a giant question mark given his trajectory, not to mention the status of Brandon Aiyuk.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Deebo Samuel’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 17
As of Sunday morning, Samuel is projected to score 12.7 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 3.4 receptions for 51.4 yards and 0.2 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Deebo Samuel’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.
Conference Championship WR PPR Rankings
1) A.J. Brown | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) Terry McLaurin | WAS (at PHI)
3) DeVonta Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)
4) Khalil Shakir | BUF (at KC)
5) Xavier Worthy | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Hollywood Brown | KC (vs. BUF)
7) DeAndre Hopkins | KC (vs. BUF)
8) Keon Coleman | BUF (at KC)
9) Dyami Brown | WAS (at PHI)
10) Mack Hollins | BUF (at KC)
11) Amari Cooper | BUF (at KC)
12) Curtis Samuel | BUF (at KC)
13) Olamide Zaccheaus | WAS (at PHI)
14) JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC (vs. BUF)
15) Jahan Dotson | PHI (vs. WAS)
16) Jamison Crowder | WAS (at PHI)
17) Luke McCaffrey | WAS (at PHI)
18) Justin Watson | KC (vs. BUF)
19) Johnny Wilson | PHI (vs. WAS)
20) Parris Campbell | PHI (vs. WAS)
21) Nikko Remigio | KC (vs. BUF)
22) Ainias Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)
