Deebo Samuel Sr. or Sam LaPorta: Who Should You Start?
2026 Week 3 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
LaPorta’s every-down role outweighs Deebo’s bigger team environment
Start LaPorta: his near-every-down role is a sturdier bet than Deebo’s lighter snap load, even with Samuel’s slight projection edge. Deebo’s higher team total and hybrid touches keep this close, and San Francisco’s depleted receiver room could funnel more work his way (Yahoo Sports 2026-09-21). LaPorta’s tough-looking matchup rank carries little weight on a zero-confidence, two-game sample; his TE standing and stable role make the difference.
What flips it: A substantial snap-share jump for Samuel in San Francisco’s depleted receiver room.
Sources: Yahoo Sports · Sep 21, 2026
AI editor
Deebo Samuel Sr.
8.710.512.3 Projected Points
Sam LaPorta
6.89.011.2 Projected Points
Deebo Samuel Sr.’s market
Sam LaPorta’s market
Why Deebo Samuel Sr.
Start· mediumStarting WR and hybrid weapon. Yards-after-catch bully used on jet sweeps and manufactured touches.
Deebo is the last man standing in a thinned-out 49ers WR room with a 20% target share and a 29.0 implied total — 12.3 projected plays up as a WR3/flex.
- San Francisco’s late-game receiver shortage could funnel more manufactured touches his way (Yahoo Sports 2026-09-21).
- His YAC and jet-sweep usage give him paths to production beyond conventional receiver routes.
The call
- San Francisco finished Week 2 with just three healthy active receivers (Samuel, Cowing, Hodge), which funnels targets and concentrates his 20% target share even further.
- A 29.0 implied team total with a -11.5 spread means plenty of scoring chances, and Arizona ranks 24 of 32 in defense-vs-WR composite — a softer-than-average draw.
- Risk is the 51% snap share and WR53 consensus tag: he's a rotational piece on paper, and an 11.5-point blowout could pull the offense run-heavy late.
- His hybrid usage (touches on the ground plus targets) gives him a PPR floor that most WR53-range replacement options can't match.
Latest on Samuel
San Francisco was down to three healthy, active receivers by the end of the Week 2 win over Miami: Deebo Samuel, Jacob Cowing and KhaDarel Hodge.
Yahoo Sports · Sep 21, 2026San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy had the ball on a string and WR Deebo Samuel was in the perfect position to pick up another TD for San Francisco.
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Why Sam LaPorta
Start· mediumTE1 and pass-catching mismatch. Reliable seam and intermediate target when healthy.
TE8 with a 90% snap share, 20% target share and a 27.5 implied total; the tough DvP rank rests on a 2-game, zero-confidence sample.
- LaPorta’s seam and intermediate role is less dependent on one designed touch breaking loose.
- The Jets’ intimidating DvP mark rests on too little evidence to outweigh LaPorta’s established workload.
The call
- Role is locked in: 90% snap share and 20% target share through 2 games. That is TE1-level usage at a thin position, backed by an 11.2-point projection and a TE8 consensus rank.
- Team context is strong. A 27.5 implied total as 9.5-point favorites points to plenty of scoring chances and red-zone looks.
- The matchup grades as tough (2 of 32 vs TEs), but it comes from a 2-game sample with 0.00 confidence. It's noise, not a reason to bench a top-8 tight end.
- Risk: a lopsided lead could tilt the script run-heavy late and trim volume. That keeps this at medium confidence rather than high. No injury designation.
Latest on LaPorta
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Head-to-head stats
| Metric | Deebo Samuel Sr. | Sam LaPorta |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 8.710.512.3 | 6.89.011.2 |
| Consensus rank | WR53 | TE8 |
| Opponent vs position | ARI · 24 of 322-game sample | NYJ · 2 of 322-game sample |
| Receptions | 17 of 32 | 4 of 32 |
| Receiving Yards | 21 of 32 | 3 of 32 |
| Receiving TDs | 30 of 32 | 1 of 32 |
| Targets | 23 of 32 | 3 of 32 |
| Anytime TD | 30 of 32 | 1 of 32 |
| Target share | 20% | 20% |
| Reception share | 20% | 21% |
| Implied total · spread | 29.0-11.5 | 27.5-9.5 |
| Depth chart | WR2 | TE1 |
| Snap share | 51% | 90% |
| Start/Sit record | 0–0+2 toss-ups | 1–1 |
Recent form
Deebo Samuel Sr. — last 2 weeks
| Week 2 | vs MIA | 3.55.06.5 |
| Week 1 | vs LAR | 12.015.018.0 |
Sam LaPorta — last 2 weeks
| Week 2 | vs BUF | 11.214.217.2 |
| Week 1 | vs NO | 4.87.39.8 |
Signal breakdown
- 12.3 vs 11.2 projected PPR pointsDeebo Samuel Sr. +
- Rank 53 vs 8Sam LaPorta +
- Opponent DvP rank 24 vs 2 (32 = softest)even
- Implied 29.0 vs 27.5 team pointsDeebo Samuel Sr. +
- No injury designationseven
- 51% vs 90% snap shareSam LaPorta +
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