Fantasy Football: Can Deebo Samuel be a Reliable Starter?

Arguably the worst aspect when it comes to fantasy football is deciding who to put in your starting lineup. Ideally, you want to get as many talented players as you can so you can plug and forget.

However, that isn't the reality in most cases. A lot of times there will be overthinking as to who you can start. Otherwise, you'll be beating yourself up over a poor decision.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel stormed onto the scene in the second half of the 2019 season. His talent is undeniable after his rookie showcase. Now he is poised to have a breakout year in 2020. Samuel is a player that you will want to add to your team, but can he be a reliable starter?

He most certainly can.

The tipping scale for why Samuel will be a reliable starter next season is his ability to be a gadget player. There were plenty of instances last season where Kyle Shanahan dialed up a jet sweep specifically for Samuel. Shanahan knows that all he needs to do is get the ball in Samuel's hands. It doesn't matter how just as long as he gets it.

Now I know that rushing yards are not a dramatic swing because they do not generate a ton of points. But the reason why that facet of Samuel's game is interesting is because of his big play ability. Those jet sweep runs of his have a chance to go all the way for a score, if not at least a chunky gain.

Samuel is going to get his touches next season both on the ground and in the air. As a receiver, Samuel will be stacking up points. This is where excelling as a short to intermediate route-runner comes in handy.

The whole focus of the 49ers' passing offense is short to intermediate. Deep pass plays, outside of counters and play action, are not a staple in the offense.

Why go deep so often when it is more of a sure thing to move the ball within 20 yards?

Samuel will see a ton of volume. Not to mention that Jimmy Garoppolo should be an improved version of himself. So we should see him hit Samuel in stride more often than not, which will equate to chunk plays.

Depending on how large your fantasy football league is, you must have Samuel in your sights and potentially early. He is a sleeper when it comes to being a reliable starter with his ceiling as WR2.