The 49ers' offense has been beat up to start the 2024 season.
Star running back Christian McCaffrey hasn't played in his first game yet, while tight end George Kittle has had injury concerns of his own. Adding into the dysfunction, WR Deebo Samuel, a multi-talented weapon for QB Brock Purdy, missed Week 3 with an injury.
San Francisco, one of the NFC's teams to beat after barely losing the Super Bowl to Kansas City last season, could use Samuel back as soon as possible as the injuries have piled up. That's true even after WR Jauan Jennings exploded in his absence in Week 3, relieving Purdy and the 49ers offense with three touchdowns.
Here are the latest updates on Samuel's status for Week 4 vs. the Patriots, how the 49ers' wide receiver room looks and Samuel's fantasy outlook this week.
MORE: Week 4 NFL Power Rankings | Week 4 NFL picks | Week 4 NFL picks against the spread
Will Deebo Samuel play this week? Injury update on 49ers' WR
Samuel is active in Week 4 and expected to play vs. the Patriots.
#49ers WR Deebo Samuel (calf), LT Trent Williams (toe), LB Dee Winters and DT Jordan Elliott (foot) are all ACTIVE and good to go today.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) September 29, 2024
Samuel picked up a calf injury in Week 2, and the ailment was initially expected to keep him out for a few weeks. However, his injury outlook improved drastically for the 49ers' matchup with New England after missing just one game.
Samuel practiced on Thursday and Friday this week, getting closer to returning to the field after missing Week 3.
Deebo Samuel is at 49ers practice for a second straight day and moving smoothly. Also, Brandon Aiyuk has moved to a new look with the red shorts pic.twitter.com/apiMPZQHss
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 27, 2024
The 49ers officially listed Samuel as questionable ahead of Sunday's game as their offense gets healthier.
Samuel will be back in action against New England looking to boost San Fransisco's offense.
49ers' WR depth chart
With Samuel dealing with the calf injury over the past few weeks, here's a look at San Fransisco's wide receiver room entering Week 4.
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Deebo Samuel (active) |
| 2 | Brandon Aiyuk |
| 3 | Jauan Jennings |
| 4 | Ronnie Bell |
| 5 | Chris Conley |
No. 1: Deebo Samuel
Before his injury, Samuel was playing like his usual superstar self. Between the first two weeks of the season, he had 164 receiving yards, 13 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Samuel remains one of the league's best do-it-all weapons, and he'll be back on the field on Sunday. However, San Fransisco is also well-equipped with other options.
No. 2: Brandon Aiyuk
Aiyuk, fresh off his new deal with the 49ers, has been quieter than usual to begin 2024. In three games, he has 119 yards on 20 catches. Last season, he had 1,342 yards on 75 catches.
However, Aiyuk remains one of the strongest receiving options in the league for Purdy. Even with Samuel playing, he should earn a healthy amount of targets.
No. 3: Jauan Jennings
Jennings exploded in Week 3 with Samuel out. He finished with 11 receptions for 175 receiving yards and three touchdowns, a career game when the 49ers needed someone to step up due to injuries.
With his massive performance, Jennings could remain more involved in the offense as he's proven what he's capable of. But, with Samuel and Aiyuk ahead of him in the receiving room plus Kittle and McCaffrey being some of the best players at their position when healthy, Jennings' opportunities will likely remain limited in the long-term.
No. 4: Ronnie Bell
With the talent throughout the 49ers' offense, Bell and the rest of the receiving room don't often see the ball.
Bell has one reception this season, which came last week.
No. 5: Chris Conley
Conley rounds out the bulk of the receiving room, but like Bell, is rarely involved because of San Fransisco's depth and talent.
This season, Conley has one catch for four yards.
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Deebo Samuel fantasy outlook Week 4
With Samuel returning in Week 4, he's worth playing, unless you have multiple top-tier receiving options that are fully healthy entering Week 4.
When he plays, Samuel remains involved in the 49ers' offense in multiple ways. His only touchdown through the early season came on the ground, while he also had 110 receiving yards in Week 2 vs. the Vikings.
Because he practiced on Thursday and Friday, it's unlikely the 49ers would be rolling Samuel out just to use him as a decoy. This early in the season, when he's on the field, Purdy will want to rely on his top wideout to move the chains whenever possible, and there isn't much value in playing him when he's not ready.
With his return to action vs. the Patriots, Samuel likely projects as a high-end WR2 that's capable of WR1 production. There remains a slim chance he's still limited in some aspects from his calf injury, but either way, he'll be back on the field vs. New England.
