Deebo Samuel Injury Report: Should You Start Samuel in Fantasy if 49ers WR Suits Up For Week 14?

Deebo Samuel (groin) has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy managers this season, but missed Week 13 and is at risk of missing Week 14.

Deebo Samuel Injury Report

Samuel suffered a groin injury in the 49ers' Week 12 matchup against the Vikings. He was injured late and logged one catch for 12 yards and had six rushing attempts for 66 yards and two touchdowns in the contest.

Initial reports were optimistic and noted that the injury was minor. Samuel was not placed on injured reserve, suggesting the 49ers expect him to return in under three weeks.

Samuel missed practice all week leading up to the team's Week 13 matchup against the Seahawks and ultimately missed the game. Receiver Brandon Aiyuk was expected to see a boost in targets, but it was George Kittle who ended up with the monster day for fantasy. Aiyuk reeled in three of six targets for 55 yards, while Kittle caught nine of 12 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media that Samuel remains day-to-day and Shanahan hopes to get him back this week, NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco reported on Tuesday.

Samuel did not practice on Wednesday and was reportedly working out on the sideline during Thursday's practice, according to 49ers reporter Cam Inman, which will likely be logged as a another "did not practice." All eyes will be on Friday's reports, as the star wideout will have to log at least a limited practice for there to be any hope of him returning against the Bengals.

Worry-o-meter: 4 out of 5.

Deebo Samuel's Fantasy Outlook

If Active

Samuel is a must-start if active against the Bengals. He has a ridiculously high floor and has logged zero weeks with under eight fantasy points in half PPR. He is averaging 18.6 fantasy points per game and is currently the WR2 behind only Cooper Kupp. Even amid concerns he could be limited due to the injury, he is an elite WR1 this week.

If Inactive

Kittle, Elijah Mitchell (if he plays) and Aiyuk would all see an uptick in targets if Samuel cannot dress. Kittle had a massive Week 13 with Samuel sidelined and finished as the TE1 for the week. Mitchell — who is already seeing 20+ attempts per game — could see an increase in carries since Samuel plays a hybrid role. Aiyuk was a bit disappointing last week, but should still see some targets assuming he isn't in the doghouse with Shanahan over a couple of drops last week.