Deebo Samuel Belongs on Fantasy Football Benches in Week 11 And Beyond

With Jayden Daniels sidelined and a brutal schedule ahead, Deebo Samuel is trending toward fantasy irrelevance — it’s time to bench him in Week 11 and beyond.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) runs on to the field for the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Things are getting ugly for the Washington Commanders, and they are only going to get worse. It could get particularly bad for their current WR1, Deebo Samuel. With Terry McLaurin once again sidelined, we'd expect Samuel to be a solid start after his hot start to the season. However, we expect him to be nearly unstartable for the foreseeable future. 

Quarterback Downgrade With Jayden Daniels Sidelined

The first issue is that starting quarterback Jayden Daniels is out for three to six weeks due to a dislocated elbow, which could still impact him once he returns to action. That leaves Marcus Mariota under center, who has not had any chemistry with Samuel. Despite scoring a touchdown this week, Samuel caught just four passes for 29 yards, while Treylon Burks led the team with three receptions for 58 yards. The absence of Daniels really hurts Samuel. 

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes the ball during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at Northwest Stadium. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Deebo Samuel's Tough Strength of Schedule

Over the next four weeks, Samuel will have three brutal matchups and a bye week, with Mariota likely being his quarterback for all of those games. In Week 11, the Commanders will take on the Miami Dolphins, who are allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season. They have also been playing much better as of late, allowing just one touchdown in two of their last three games. 

After their Week 11 matchup in Madrid, the Commanders will go on their bye week. They will return in Week 13 to face off with the Denver Broncos, who will likely have cornerback Patrick Surtain II back in action by then. The Broncos are allowing the fewest fantasy points in the league to wide receivers this season, and they have still been strong even with Surtain II sidelined with a strained pec. The top receiver in their Week 10 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders was Tyler Lockett with 44 yards, and the only touchdown they allowed was an Ashton Jeanty rushing TD. 

Things don't get all that much better in Week 14, when Washington hits the road to play the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota is allowing just the seventh-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season. If you look at his schedule and situation, he won't be a viable fantasy asset for the rest of the fantasy regular season.

Terry McLaurin's Looming Return

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

There is also the looming return of McLaurin at some point, which could further split the targets for the Commanders' pass-catchers. If you can move on from Samuel, you should do it as soon as possible.