Samuel to play Z-WR, wide back in part-time role

In addition to those receptions, Samuel also added a rush for five yards and returned two kicks for 74 yards with a long of 45. The 30-year-old’s time with the Commanders was disappointing, but his return to San Francisco — at least in this first contest — was a successful one, even without much yardage. Samuel’s targets were likely helped by De’Zhaun Stribling leaving with an ankle injury, but the connection between Samuel and Purdy looked solid enough in the Australia opener. Samuel will be back in action in Week 2 in a matchup against the Dolphins.

James has officially lost the backup job to rookie RB Kaelon Black, who should be safely stashed on fantasy benches before kickoff. The 49ers also declared QB Kurtis Rourke, CB Ephesians Prysock, WR Jordan Watkins, LB Tatum Bethune and OT Enrique Cruz inactive for Week 1 against the Rams.

In his projected depth chart, Barrows lists Stribling as both the starting slot receiver and the No. 2 X-receiver. He does not place Stribling on the Z-receiver depth chart, which could mean the rookie wide receiver has not yet earned a role in two-wide receiver sets. Veteran WR Deebo Samuel is the starting Z-receiver, though Barrows already reported that Samuel will take only “a portion” of the overall Z-receiver snaps. It would be surprising to see Nos. 2-3 Z-receivers, Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing, play ahead of Stribling when Samuel needs a breather, but the season is long and Stribling can always change Barrows’ mind. Early in the year, Stribling is likely best treated as a WR4/FLEX candidate. Were Evans to miss time, Stribling would seemingly slide into a full-time starting role.

It’s an unofficial depth chart and should be taken with some skepticism. Mike Evans and Demarcus Robinson are listed as starting wideouts alongside Samuel, who signed with the Niners last week after spending 2025 in Washington. Familiar with Kyle Shanahan’s offense after playing in San Francisco for the first six years of his NFL career, Samuel could see a surprising amount of playing time with Christian Kirk banged up and Ricky Pearsall out for the season with a knee injury. De’Zaun Stribling is listed as a WR2 on the unofficial depth chart for now. His performance in training camp and Niners coaches’ comments about the rookie suggest he’ll get plenty of run alongside Evans and Samuel in 2026.

Juszczyk missed practice Wednesday due to a broken finger. Also missing practice was WR Jacob Cowing, who was dealing with a hip flexor strain. It is unclear how much time the two will miss, but add them to the long list of offensive skill player injuries for the 49ers in training camp.

The deal is worth “up to” $7 million, presumably with the “up to” doing some heavy lifting. Trying to wait out underwhelming free agent offers until the right opportunity presented itself, 30-year-old Samuel has found the perfect opportunity in reuniting with coach Kyle Shanahan and company. Although his efficiency had been declining even before last season’s trade to the Commanders, we have little doubt it will rebound to a degree under Shanny. The question becomes where he fits in a receiver jigsaw that includes an injured Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk, aging Mike Evans, and unproven De’Zhaun Stribling. Samuel isn’t going to be the usage monster of his prime, but then again, the 49ers also lack proven backfield touches behind Christian McCaffrey. Perhaps even “rushing Samuel” will be in for something of a revival. Although summer fantasy drafters might have been hoping for Samuel to end up in a skill corps with less touch competition, this is ultimately a good outcome for those hoping for top-40 upside.

In a mailbag column, Alexander was asked specifically if the Texans had any interest in adding Deebo Samuel. Alexander writes that the Texans like their current receiver group and will give them every opportunity to show what they’ve got in training camp. Samuel has had an extremely quiet free agency compared even to other veterans like Stefon Diggs and Keenan Allen, and it’s puzzling from the outside because Samuel was still putting up solid YAC numbers last year and didn’t appear to have lost a step. He’s still a threat to pop back on to the fantasy radar if he lands in a good situation.

This doesn’t exactly sound like a fantasy-friendly role. Wagoner listed him as the 49ers’ player who was the “biggest surprise” of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, “consistently making big plays down the field in team drills and 7-on-7.” Unfortunately, the wide receiver room is crowded. Despite the solid play, Cowing will have a tough time earning a reliable role in the offense.

He cautions that there’s still a possibility the Ravens address the position late in free agency, as Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Deebo Samuel, and DeAndre Hopkins remain available. Still, he has the experience edge over the two rookie receivers and barring an injury stash situation it’s hard to understand the Ravens not keeping two players they just drafted. Considering Lamar Jackson’s history and the potential upside in Declan Doyle’s offense, Walker is an interesting buy in fantasy at this point — it’s just hard to make the case that he’s got a real floor.

Watkins drew positive reviews as a rookie last summer, but September ankle and calf injuries stunted his development, pushing him to the bottom of the depth chart. Cowing’s second NFL season was derailed by a recurring hamstring strain. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows listed him as a standout at Thursday’s practice, but he caught just four passes as a 2024 rookie. Expectations for him must be tempered. Watkins is worth monitoring for deep-league managers.