Fantasy Football: Can the 49ers produce a sleeper WR with Deebo Samuel out?

Can 49ers produce a fantasy sleeper wide receiver with Deebo Samuel injured?

A virtual offseason for NFL teams has naturally eliminated most injuries, but there is a notable one now. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel suffered a broken foot during a throwing session with teammates this week. He’ll have surgery on Thursday to repair a Jones fracture, and he’ll miss at least three-four months.

Samuel was second on the 49ers in targets as a rookie last year (81), as he put up 57 catches for 802 yards and three touchdowns. He added 159 rushing yards and three more scores. Shifting to a fantasy perspective, he was WR4 in standard scoring from Week 10-Week 17. In full PPR, he was WR9 over that span.

With that emergence over the second half, Samuel was easily tabbed as a fantasy breakout candidate this year. He seems headed to the PUP list to start the season, with great risk of re-injury and questions about his effectiveness once he does return.

First-round pick Brandon Aiyuk is first in line to step up in Samuel’s absence. But will the 49ers offer up a potential fantasy sleeper at wide receiver?

Can Jalen Hurd be a fantasy football producer?

As a testament to his raw athleticism, Hurd made the switch from running back to wide receiver in college upon transferring to Baylor. After he had a solid 69 receptions for 946 yards in 2018, the 49ers took him in the third round of the 2019 draft. Then a back injury cost him his entire rookie season.

Hurd was cleared for football activities in April, and he has been a part of informal throwing sessions with Jimmy Garoppolo. He is well off the radar outside of the deepest dynasty leagues, but depending on any possible moves Hurd is a clear candidate for a bigger role with Samuel out.

Is Kendrick Bourne a fantasy football deep sleeper?

Over the last two seasons, Kendrick Bourne has nine touchdowns on 72 receptions. He tied for the team lead with five receiving touchdowns last year, concentrated over a three-game scoring streak from Week 9-11 and a two-score game in Week 14. However, he only topped 45 yards in a game once all season. In 2018, he topped 50 yards in a game three times in 16 games. That is the resume of a “touchdown or bust” fantasy wide receiver.

Bourne had the third-highest snap rate among 49ers’ wide receivers last year (44 percent), and now the top two (Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders, via Football Outsiders) are out of the mix now. So it seems sure he’ll see more playing time, the question is how much. San Francisco’s run-oriented attack also puts a ceiling on the passing game.

Conclusion

The 49ers may sign or trade for someone, which would diminish any kind of fantasy potential for Hurd or Bourne. But they are both on the radar behind Aiyuk as beneficiaries of Samuel’s absence, and thus worth a look in the very late rounds of fantasy drafts right now.