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When will Deebo Samuel return and play? Will Deebo Samuel be back again this season? Read the latest Deebo Samuel injury updates and return date for Week 8 (2025).
From 2021 to 2023, only 12 players recorded more all-purpose yards than Deebo Samuel Sr. He also scored 31 touchdowns during that span, which made him a top-tier fantasy performer.
However, Samuel's time with the 49ers ended on a sour note last year. He finished the 2024 season as the PPR WR44, a far cry from his peak years. He joined the Commanders in the offseason and was the PPR WR8 before being ruled out due to a heel injury in Week 7.
When will Samuel return to action, and what is his fantasy football outlook when he does? Let's dive in.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Deebo Samuel Sr. Injury Update
Samuel played well in the first four weeks of the 2025 season, scoring three total touchdowns. He popped up on the team's injury report ahead of their Week 5 matchup against the Chargers due to a heel injury. Samuel missed two practices, but participated in their final practice before going on to have his best game of the season.
Visual proof Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel are back at practice pic.twitter.com/ENjP2wS8oJ
— Ethan Cadeaux (@Ethan_Cadeaux) October 23, 2025
He recorded a season-high 23.6 PPR points, and the injury seemingly didn't bother him. However, he missed a pair of practices once again before Week 6, and although he played that week against the Bears, he wasn't anywhere near as effective as he had been in the previous weeks. He was eventually ruled out for the team's Week 7 game against the Cowboys.
But it looks like Samuel won't be out for long. He was listed as a full practice participant alongside Terry McLaurin on the Commanders' official injury report and is set to take the field once again against the Chiefs.
Deebo Samuel Sr. Fantasy Football Outlook
For the first time since Week 3, Samuel and McLaurin are looking to play alongside each other. Samuel managed to outperform McLaurin in those three games, recording 44.9 PPR points compared to McLaurin's 24.9.
QB Marcus Mariota will start on Monday vs. the Chiefs. Jayden Daniels has been ruled OUT. pic.twitter.com/fJwa81uHws
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 23, 2025
However, both players will have to rely on their backup quarterback to help them win against the defending AFC champions. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Jayden Daniels is set to miss the game due to a hamstring injury, and Marcus Mariota will start in his place.
Mariota was excellent against the Raiders in Week 3, and although he couldn't defeat his former team, the Falcons, in Week 4, he still helped Samuel record 72 yards and score a touchdown.
Even if Mariota struggles, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is optimistic that Daniels will return in Week 9, as the team will focus on rehabilitating his injury during the week.
The Commanders don't have an easy schedule, but they'll hope to put some points on the board in games against the Dolphins (Week 11), Giants (Week 15), and Cowboys (Week 17).
If Daniels and the rest of the squad can stay healthy, Samuel can provide great fantasy value during the fantasy playoffs.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 8 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Rico Dowdle, Cade Otton, Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Wan'Dale Robinson, Darnell Mooney, Khalil Shakir. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 8. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 8 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Rico Dowdle, Cade Otton, Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Wan'Dale Robinson, Darnell Mooney, Khalil Shakir. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 8.
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's name. In the second box, search for the second player's 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 to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 8 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 8 (2025)? 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 8 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 8 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Rico Dowdle, Cade Otton, Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Wan'Dale Robinson, Darnell Mooney, Khalil Shakir compared to others:
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