Start or sit Curtis Samuel in Week 2 TNF?

Training camp hype was very high on Curtis Samuel this year, and for good reason. He looked great, hauling in nearly everything Cam Newton threw at him. Fantasy prognosticators, understandably, predicted a big year for Samuel as a key part of the Carolina Panthers offense.

That didn’t quite materialize last week in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams. You can understand. The Rams defense played a tough game. It’s not a unit prone to giving up big plays. Samuel caught three of four passes Newton threw to him for a total of just 32 yards.

Three players had more targets last week than Samuel. But things should get easier against softer secondaries. With Christian McCaffrey eating up soooo many touches in the Panthers offense, it can be hard to imagine where Samuel is going to get his. He will, eventually.

The good news is that Samuel should probably have been one of those late-round flyers you stash in the hopes of a breakout later in the season. Don’t give up on him yet.

Fantasy Impact: Samuel could see more targets this week with tight end Greg Olsen ailing. If Olsen isn’t in the lineup, or if he’s on limited because of his back injury, that should mean more throws coming Samuel’s way against an easier defense. At $4,800 he’s not a bad play for your DraftKings lineup. For traditional fantasy, he’s worth that third receiver or flex spot.

Recommendation: Start