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When is Deebo Samuel Sr. coming back? Will Deebo Samuel Sr. play again this season? Read about Deebo Samuel Sr.'s return date and injury updates for 2026.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. returned to the 49ers in 2026 after spending the 2025 season with the Washington Commanders, and, despite being 30 years old, has proven that he can still be a meaningful part of the offense. Samuel was a late-round dart throw in most fantasy drafts this year, going outside of the top 50 WRs in ADP.
Seven-year veteran Deebo Samuel Sr. was on his way to crushing his ADP when he suffered a right hamstring injury in Week 5, putting a pause on his productive early-season run after missing the previous four games.
When will Samuel Sr. come back? When he returns, will he build upon his solid start to the season?
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Deebo Samuel Sr. Injury Update for Fantasy Football
In the San Francisco 49ers Week 5 matchup versus the Seattle Seahawks, Samuel Sr. received a handoff in the third quarter, ultimately injuring his right hamstring and losing a fumble. The injury has sidelined him and kept him out of practice through Week 9. After the occurrence, HC Kyle Shanahan said that the injury "got him pretty good" and that he was "going to miss some time," so Samuel Sr. was not expected to return quickly.
However, Samuel Sr. was recorded as a limited participant on Wednesday, 11/11, and Thursday, 11/12, before their Week 10 bout against the Dallas Cowboys.
Deebo Samuel limited in practice on Wednesday. He injured that hamstring in Seattle. He expects to go on Sunday. https://t.co/E9CkTmWeeg
— Matt Lively (@mattblively) November 11, 2026
It would be an encouraging sign if he can get Friday's practice in as a full participant, but, of course, it is not required for him to play in Sunday's game. He is expected to suit up against the Cowboys, but his Week 10 status should be monitored after Friday's practice report is released.
Deebo Samuel Sr. Fantasy Football Outlook
Deebo Samuel Sr. has played in four full games this year and has scored 14.5 half PPR points or more in three of them, tacking on an impressive three touchdowns in those games. In those first four games, he caught 14 passes on 17 targets for a total of 185 yards. Samuel Sr. also has a role on the ground, rushing seven times for 74 yards in those same games.
Purdy and Samuel give the 49ers the lead!
DENvsSF on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/rl6k6qXiAs— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026
Samuel Sr.'s production this year supports the case for him being a flex option, as he is currently slotted in as WR25 in fantasy points per game. Even so, his current rank may not be very predictive of Samuel Sr.'s value.
Through his first four healthy games, he had a mediocre average snap rate of 61%, although it did look to be increasing as he posted a 76% and 67% snap share in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively. His route participation rate is 61.8%, which puts him at WR71 compared to wide receivers who have played three or more games this year.
These particular WR usage stats aren't indicative of a fantasy-relevant role, but it is worth considering that Samuel Sr. is involved in the run game, and he also receives a large percentage of his targets designed for him (38.9%), according to Fantasy Points Data.
On November 10th, the NFL trade deadline, the 49ers traded for Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen, who will play this Week, so he should take on a decent role, especially with fellow wide receiver Mike Evans (Achilles) not projected to be active. If Samuel Sr. logs a full practice and there is positive news about his participation, he has potential value in Week 10.
From a fantasy perspective, it will be helpful to see what Samuel Sr.'s role looks like with the addition of Allen and the return of Evans. However, for this week, Samuel Sr. should have plenty of opportunity assuming he is a full-go. Fantasy managers should monitor Samuel Sr.'s Week 10 status, but for now, especially with Evans out, Samuel Sr. can be plugged into lineups as a solid flex option.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Week 10 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Deebo Samuel Sr., Keenan Allen, Jordan Watkins, Kaelon Black. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 10.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 10 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 10 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 10 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 10 for Deebo Samuel Sr., Keenan Allen, Jordan Watkins, Kaelon Black:
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