The San Francisco 49ers are bringing back Deebo Samuel, 30, on a reported one-year, incentive-heavy contract worth up to $7 million. The versatile receiver spent 2025 with Washington, catching 72 passes for 727 yards and five touchdowns. Working primarily from the slot and occasionally lining up in the backfield, his familiarity with Kyle Shanahan’s offense and injuries in San Fran's passing game should allow Samuel to contribute immediately.
Here's how it should shape up for the pecking order and fantasy football purposes.
Expectations for San Francisco 49ers Targets
Mike Evans and Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey remains the offense’s featured player and most dependable source of touches, but his target tally is bound to take a dip with the addition of Evans and return of Samuel. Evans should lead the wide receivers in routes, downfield targets, and red-zone opportunities after signing a three-year contract with San Francisco.
Samuel’s arrival may reduce some manufactured touches for McCaffrey, but it should also help the 49ers manage their star running back’s workload. In terms of impact, Samuel's role won't make a major dent in either Evans or McCaffrey's workloads. He’ll cut more into the latter’s workload because of the natural crossover in the routes they run.
George Kittle and Deebo Samuel
When healthy, Kittle should remain ahead of Samuel in the target order. His Achilles recovery and placement on Active/PUP create early-season uncertainty, however. Samuel projects for a smattering of slot routes, screens, motion plays, and occasional backfield work rather than the featured receiving role he held earlier in his career. Those targets will chip away at Kittle's volume but not in a way that is more troubling for fantasy than the tight end's ongoing rehab situation itself.
Christian Kirk and Ricky Pearsall
The timing of Samuel’s return reflects serious concern about Pearsall’s availability. The Niners are considering several options for Pearsall’s lingering PCL injury, including surgery that could cost him the entire 2026 season. While Kirk figures to handle a complementary role from the slot and in three-receiver sets, he also should take a massive hit in the target department with Samuel's return. Deebo being so versatile allows for Shanahan to move him around the alignment to focus on creating mismatches.
Fantasy Football Outlook
Brock Purdy's target distribution will heavily lean on Evans, CMC, an eventually healthy Kittle, and Deebo, with the remaining opportunities sprinkled among rotational players. Things won't change a great deal in totality, but there will be weeks in which the matchup calls for more underneath targets (McCaffrey, Deebo, Kittle) and others that beckon increased vertical exploitation, which favors Evans (and possibly Pearsall).
Samuel profiles as a late-round WR4 or matchup-based flex rather than a weekly starter. Evans remains a touchdown-driven WR2, McCaffrey retains elite RB1 value, and a healthy Kittle belongs in the low-end TE1 tier. Pearsall should fall out of fantasy draft consideration until the team provides a recovery plan and realistic return timeline, and Kirk may struggle to earn dependable snaps after Samuel’s return.
