The San Francisco 49ers overcame a rollercoaster of injuries to their quarterback room to win the NFC West with a 13-4 record, led by the superb play of 2022’s Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy. Eventually, the magic ran out as the 49ers fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game, however, they are well-positioned to contend once again this season.
In order to punch their ticket back to the Super Bowl, San Francisco will once again rely on their bevy of talent on both sides of the ball, including the likes of wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
2023 Fantasy Football: Deebo Samuel Profile
Recap of 2022 season
Samuel finished the 2022 campaign with 56 receptions for 632 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He had just as much of an impact on the ground game, logging 42 carries for 232 yards and three rushing touchdowns. In PPR formats, he averaged 13.0 fantasy points per game while finishing as WR38 with 168.4 total fantasy points scored last year.
Updated 49ers outlook
The 49ers’ talented offense returns once more with the likes of Samuel, George Kittle, Cristian McCaffrey, and Brandon Aiyuk leading the way. The true question mark ahead lies in the status of their starting quarterback. Until Purdy fully recovers from his torn UCL, the expectation is that Trey Lance will take starting snaps to begin the 2023 campaign. Additionally, San Francisco added a veteran presence in the quarterback room by signing Sam Darnold in the offseason.
There is no question that the 49ers will be among the true NFC contenders next season, however, the distance they go in the postseason could depend on who remains the starting quarterback long-term.
Best case scenario
Ever since Purdy took over the starting quarterback role in Week 13 of last year, the 49ers averaged 350+ total yards of offense in five of their last six games of the regular season, illustrating the unit’s efficiency with Purdy comfortably at the helm. So long as he returns this season, and is healthy when that moment comes, he provides the best opportunity for Samuel and the 49ers offensive players to perform at their best. Fantasy managers that have Samuel on their team should hope for a seamless return to the field for Purdy.
Worst case scenario
If for some reason Purdy takes an extended time period to return or regresses from last year’s performance, then it could open the door for Lance or Darnold to take over as the starting signal-caller. Both come with their own question marks and faults, so it would throw Samuel’s fantasy ceiling up in the air on a weekly basis. That type of uncertainty could be a headache for the fantasy managers of Samuel.
Prediction
According to a few recent reports, Purdy was ahead of schedule and started throwing without pain in late May. By the first week of June, reports indicated that he was throwing three times weekly. If Purdy stays the course, it could mean he returns early in the season, which sets up Samuel to put up stronger numbers as a result of playing with the more efficient quarterback on the roster. With that precedent, Samuel could finish closer to his 2021 level of Pro Bowl production, logging closer to 1,000+ yards receiving and nearly 300+ yards rushing.