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Thursday update: Samuel returned to practice on Thursday, per Tracy Sandler. The team has not announced injury statuses, but he would seem likely to get either a limited or full designation a day after being a DNP.
The San Francisco 49ers returned to the practice field on Wednesday for Week 8, and wide receiver Deebo Samuel was sidelined for the day. Samuel did not practice due to a calf injury, but head coach Kyle Shanahan does not think he will miss Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears, per Eric Branch.
Fantasy football implications
Samuel is having a breakout season, ranking fifth in wide receiver fantasy points and third in WR fantasy points per game. He has 38 receptions for 648 yards and four touchdowns, and is coming off a Week 7 game in which he caught seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.
If this works out like Shanahan has said, Samuel will be out there Sunday and is a must-start in all formats. After playing in 15 games as a rookie in 2019, he played seven games last season. He’s not at a stage to be considered injury-prone, but as a physical type of receiver, it’s something to keep an eye on. But for now, it sounds like he’ll be fine and you can safely start him against the Bears.