Are Marquise Goodwin or Deebo Samuel fantasy football sleepers?
Can San Francisco 49ers wide receivers Marquise Goodwin or Deebo Samuel be a fantasy football steal?
The San Francisco 49ers have revamped their offense this offseason, not the least of which is the return of starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. However, the receiving corps has already taken some lumps. Second-year receiver Trent Taylor is out with a foot injury, while rookie Jalen Hurd is out with a back injury. With more opportunity opening up in the 49ers offense, the question becomes which receiver is the better fantasy football stash, Marquise Goodwin or Deebo Samuel?
Goodwin has had his share of injuries, only appearing in 11 games last season. When he was on the field, he was explosive with 17.2 yards per reception. When we look at the air yards data from the aptly named airyards.com, it becomes apparent why the yards per reception was so high.
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Despite finishing with just 41 targets on the season, Goodwin edged out all other receivers with 547 air yards. He still finished second on the team to tight end George Kittle, but that should be no surprise as Kittle was a fantasy force last season and stayed healthy. Goodwin is listed as the starter in this offense and it seems clear that he is the downfield threat with his Olympic level speed. 2018 was the second consecutive season he posted a yards per reception over 17, and 2017 saw him narrowly miss 1,000 yards receiving.
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Samuel is a rookie from South Carolina and he certainly flashed in the preseason when he had the opportunity. He turned nine targets to six receptions for 104 yards and he tacked on 56 rushing yards in two attempts. With Dante Pettis rotating in and out of the slot in the preseason and drawing some very up and down reviews in camp, the role on the outside could be wide open for Samuel.
What this could boil down to is what happens with Pettis. If he rebounds from a rough training camp and claims the role of the number one receiver, there may not be a ton of targets to go around after Kittle, Pettis and assorted running backs of Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida. If that’s the case, Goodwin is the likeliest to pay off because he can do the most with a very limited target share.
If the number one role is open, there is a possibility of Samuel seizing the chance and running with it. That’s not the likeliest outcome with a rookie receiver and with obstacles in the way to make it happen. With Goodwin being listed the starter and having a track record of success (when healthy) in the NFL, he makes the most sense as a stash with Samuel potentially emerging as the year goes on.
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