Fantasy Football Impact: 49ers Sign Deebo Samuel (2026)

NFL Training Camps have only been open a few days, and there have already been a few fantasy football-relevant happenings. Unfortunately, this time of year the news is usually not great for players or fantasy managers who roster said players. This week brought some scary injury news for Ricky Pearsall. Rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling was a fantasy darling for a beat, but now his flame is dimmed by the 49ers signing of veteran Deebo Samuel. Derek Brown and Andrew Erickson provide their outlooks for the three players below.

2026 Fantasy Football Draft Advice: 49ers Sign Deebo Samuel

Derek Brown and Andrew Erickson break down the fantasy football impact of Deebo Samuel signing with the San Francisco 49ers.

Deebo Samuel rejoins the San Francisco 49ers on a one-year deal after a one-year dalliance with the Commanders. With Ricky Pearsall likely sidelined for the entire season, Samuel will compete with De’Zhaun Stribling to be the WR2 in the pecking order behind Mike Evans. Last year, Samuel was the WR29 in fantasy points per game while putting up a varied stat line. Samuel posted some metrics that make me want to feel bullish about his 2026 outlook, but there are also concerning pieces of his analytical profile. Let’s start out with the good. Last year, among 109 qualifying receivers, Samuel was 18th in target share (22.4%), ninth in yards after the catch per reception (6.6), 21st in first-read share (27.3%), and ninth-best in missed tackles forced per reception. Unfortunately, though, among the same sample of receivers, he was also 38th in yards per route run and 53rd in first downs per route run (0.076) while seeing his usual bevy of underneath targets (5.3 aDOT, 103rd out of 109 qualifying receivers). I find myself more in than out with Samuel for 2026. His ability to break tackles and create with the ball in his hands has always been his calling card, and he’s still posting stellar metrics in those departments and target-earning areas. The per-route efficiency worries I’ll chalk up to Washington’s struggling offense last season. Samuel should be a viable WR3/flex with upside for 2026 in the 49ers’ offense.
– Derek Brown

De’Zhaun Stribling has been zooming up draft boards and ADP since the news of Ricky Pearsall‘s recurring PCL issues. Many could pump the brakes on that now that San Francisco brought back Deebo Samuel on a one-year deal, but I’ll still be drafting Stribling at cost. Christian Kirk (calf) is also dealing with an injury to open camp. At this point in Kirk’s career, he can’t be counted on to stay healthy or be an effective weekly cog of an NFL passing attack. Stribling had a solid collegiate career, with his skill set fitting what the 49ers want from their receivers. During his final two collegiate seasons, he posted 2.15 and 2.44 yards per route run with 7.3 and 6.7 yards after the catch per reception (17 missed tackles forced across both seasons, per PFF). Stribling offers the 49ers a varied skill set with shades of what they have hoped to get from Pearsall. He can make players miss in space, outrun them with the ball in his hands (4.36 40-yard dash), and create yards after the catch. Stribling is a great late-round selection in fantasy football drafts in 2026.
– Derek Brown

Ricky Pearsall quietly flashed major upside in an injury-shortened 2025 season, posting four games with at least 85 receiving yards while leading the 49ers in receiving yards per game. The opportunity was massive entering 2026 with Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk gone, George Kittle recovering from a torn Achilles, and San Francisco carrying significant vacated targets and air yards. Pearsall had a realistic path to becoming a featured option in Kyle Shanahan’s offense if he could finally stay healthy. Alas, he re-injured his PCL in training camp (knee swelling)…making his 2026 projection very fragile.
– Andrew Erickson

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