Fantasy football: How Deebo Samuel’s injury affects 49ers and replacement options

Exaggeration can apply to any topic or idea. It doesn’t matter how bad or good something is, the degree of good/bad can always be stretched to more extreme extremes. 

Like, everyone knows the original “Avatar” was not a great movie, but some people try to pretend it was worse than it is, or that it had redeeming qualities beyond just its amazing special effects. Both are exaggerations. 

The reality often falls between these exaggerated viewpoints. Another example: the injury to Deebo Samuel will wreck the 49ers’ offense, and fantasy teams. 

Look, there is some truth here: The 49ers do not get better without Samuel, and his injury doesn’t help fantasy managers either. It creates a broad swath of certainty: How will the 49ers adjust? Who will get more targets? Or carries? How will it impact the quarterback, or the offense as a whole? 

These are all legitimate questions. But Samuel’s injury doesn’t mean San Francisco suddenly will become the exaggerated original-“Avatar” bad. It might not even be unexaggerated original-“Avatar” bad. 

In a normal world, the injury to a starting quarterback would be more damaging across the board than one to a lead wide receiver, but the 49ers have survived that so far. Jimmy Garoppolo was knocked out early in a Week 13 win over the Dolphins. Enter rookie Brock Purdy. 

Behind Purdy, there was no huge change in Samuel’s fantasy production, nor that of Brandon Aiyuk. George Kittle hasn’t been great with Purdy, but Christian McCaffrey has had two huge games (More because Elijah Mitchell is out, or Purdy is in? Stop asking questions, just go with it). 

Problem is, you aren’t going to find any of those players — McCaffrey, Kittle, Aiyuk — on your waiver wire. If there is an available Niner who might get a fantasy bump, it is Jauan Jennings. He is more of a stash than a plug-and-play, and stashes don’t do you any good this time of year. 

If your fantasy team lost Deebo, you’re going to need to look elsewhere for a replacement. Our first target would be Browns WR Donovan Peoples-Jones. He and new QB Deshaun Watson should get more comfortable with each other the more they play together, and top Browns WR Amari Cooper is dealing with a hip problem. Also, Cleveland faces some ho-hum pass defenses the rest of the way — Ravens, Saints, Commanders. 

Jacksonville’s Zay Jones has double-digit targets in three of his past four games (the only exception being when he was limited with a chest injury in Week 13). He has more targets than top Jaguars WR Christian Kirk since Week 10 (43-36). 

Sunday showed Chris Moore is the go-to target as long as Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins are injured. And the Chiefs’ Mecole Hardman was posting strong numbers before a Week 9 abdomen injury. He could be back as soon as this week. 

Bad news is: It will be easier for the 49ers to cover for the loss of Deebo than it will be for your fantasy team.