To say that it’s been a disappointing season for the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Deebo Samuel would be an understatement. The Niners were within a whisker of the Lombardi Trophy last season but, after dealing with a slate of injuries, are just 6-7 and stand to be virtually eliminated from playoff contention if they lose to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
Despite Samuel’s tweet that he was “not struggling at all”, it’s been a rough season for San Francisco’s WR1. Samuel’s on pace for a career low in yards per game, receptions per game, and success rate. He has fallen out of favor in the 49ers wide receiver rotation despite Brandon Aiyuk going down with a torn ACL, as former seventh-round pick Jauan Jennings has become quarterback Brock Purdy’s preferred target.
Samuel was once considered one of the best dual-threat playmakers in football, being named First-Team All-Pro in 2021 after a monster season in which he racked up 1,770 scrimmage yards on 136 touches with 14 total scores. He has fallen off dramatically from those heights, recording 22 or fewer receiving yards in each of his past four games. He has only crossed the 100-yard plateau twice this season, and he only has two total scores all year. Pro Football Focus grades Samuel as just the 48th-best receiver in football.
Samuel does have a favorable matchup on the docket Thursday night in San Francisco. The Rams’ defense has struggled to defend opposing receivers all season, allowing 3,159 yards and eight yards per attempt, both bottom-ten ranks in the league. Los Angeles does not have many talented defensive backs on the roster; the top-ranked Ram is Kamren Curl, PFF’s 49th-ranked safety. Samuel sat out the teams’ first meeting of the year, but Jennings had a breakout performance with 11 catches, 175 yards, and three scores.
Perhaps Samuel will perform better than he has in the last four games against the porous Los Angeles secondary; after all, this has been the worst four-game stretch of his career. But in a truly must-win game for the 49ers, Purdy will be leaning on his most reliable options, and with a team-leading five drops this season and career-worst elusiveness after the catch, Samuel simply isn’t that.
Start or Sit: Sit Deebo Samuel.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
