Fantasy football managers might already be scrambling at wide receiver due to injuries.
Patriots WR A.J. Brown (ankle) is now on injured reserve, while Chargers WR Ladd McConkey (ribs), Texans WR Nico Collins (hamstring), and Ravens WR Zay Flowers (hamstring) are also dealing with injuries that cloud their status heading into Week 2. This might force some managers into difficult start-or-sit replacement decisions.
Let’s dig into the wide receiver position and break down our NFL Week 2 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em battle between 49ers WR Deebo Samuel Sr. and Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin Jr. for your fantasy football picks this week, including PrizePicks projections.
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Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em WRs, Week 2: Deebo Samuel or Chris Godwin?
Who could be the best pick out of this NFL Week 2 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em dilemma: Samuel or Godwin?
Why Start Deebo Samuel?
Deebo Samuel Sr. PrizePicks Projections: 30.5 Receiving Yards, 3 Receptions, 8.5 Fantasy Score
- After having already lost WR Ricky Pearsall (knee) for the season, the 49ers suffered another injury at wide receiver with De’Zhaun Stribling suffering an ankle injury in their Week 1 27-7 win over the Rams. He is expected to miss 10 weeks.
- With the rookie leaving early, Samuel was targeted 7 times against the Rams. He turned those into 6 receptions for 48 yards and 1 TD. Samuel also logged 1 rushing attempt for 12 yards.
- Although the veteran only logged 27 offensive snaps, he was targeted on 41.2% of his routes, according to RotoWire.
- Per PFF, Samuel has ranked inside the top six among qualified wide receivers in yards after the catch per reception in each of the last five seasons.
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Why Start Chris Godwin?
Chris Godwin Jr. PrizePicks Projections: 46.5 Receiving Yards, 5.5 Receptions (Demon)
- Godwin received 4 targets in Sunday’s 33-27 loss to the Bengals, catching each of them for a total of 40 yards. He also had 1 carry for 3 yards.
- The veteran wide receiver played 86% of the Buccaneers' offensive snaps, trailing only Emeka Egbuka (88%) among wide receivers.
- Injuries have limited Godwin, but he has been productive when on the field. Over the last two seasons, he accumulated 83 receptions for 936 yards and 7 TDs across 16 games.
- Before his recent injuries, the former third-round pick had recorded three straight seasons with at least 80 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards.
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Week 2 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Verdict: Start Deebo Samuel
As far as matchups go, both Samuel and Godwin have favorable ones for Week 2.
Samuel will face the Dolphins, who allowed 27 points in Week 1 to a Raiders team that was playing without TE Brock Bowers (knee). Raiders 38-year-old QB Kirk Cousins emerged from the game with 3 TDs and completed 70.0% of his pass attempts.
Godwin will run his routes against the Browns, who were torched by the Jaguars for 34 points on Sunday. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence completed 78.3% of his passes and had 4 TDs despite only throwing the ball 23 times.
The deciding factors between these two are Samuel’s versatility and touchdown potential.
He ended his first stint with the 49ers with four straight seasons with at least 80 targets and 37 rush attempts. During that four-year span, he had 26 receiving TDs and 17 rushing TDs. Not only does he already have 1 TD this season, but he also received 3 red zone targets against the Rams — 2 of which came from inside 10 yards.
Godwin has never received more than 4 rush attempts in a season. In his last three full seasons, he totaled 12 TDs. Over nine games in 2025, he was only given 7 red zone targets.
Godwin isn’t exactly someone to avoid because of his favorable matchup, but Samuel comes with more fantasy upside thanks to scoring potential.
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Samuel and Godwin both have favorable matchups in Week 2. However, Samuel is the better option for fantasy due to the 49ers’ limited options at wide receiver, his versatility, and his propensity for scoring touchdowns.
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