The San Francisco 49ers will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8. They may have to do so without one of their most versatile players. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel is dealing with a hairline fracture in his left shoulder suffered in Week 6. It sidelined him last week and was initially expected to push him inactive through the team’s Week 10 bye.
There was no penalty on this play, but Browns S Juan Thornhill (No. 1) was fined $12,578 for unnecessary roughness. Per Kyle Shanahan, this was the hit that caused a hairline fracture in Deebo Samuel’s left shoulder. He’ll miss at least the next two games. pic.twitter.com/MXXf2UQCvP
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) October 22, 2023
Fantasy football implications for Week 8
The Bengals’ defense allows middle-of-the-road numbers to opposing wide receivers in fantasy football this year. Samuel has upside in the 49ers’ offense, given his usage in the passing and rushing games, but that is only when healthy. If he is active, he may not be 100%, and it would be surprising for the team to have him line up in the backfield and take extra hits.
Assuming Samuel sits, Brandon Aiyuk will likely lead the way as the top wide receiver again. Tight end George Kittle saw seven targets last week with Samuel out, but it was Jauan Jennings who saw the largest uptick in work with a team-high nine targets.