49ers WR Deebo Samuel will take over “a portion” of the Z-receiver role, while also contributing as a “wide back.”

20 August 2026

The Athletic’s Matt Barrows notes that at 30 years old, Samuel is “not going to be close to an every-down player.” 49ers WRs Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing are competing to be Samuel’s backup, though neither player will be reliable in fantasy. Samuel may also struggle to return FLEX value at this point in his career.