UPDATE: Shortly after the team announced Samuel was questionable to return, Cam Inman spotted him on the sideline in sweats. He is done for the day. He joins Brandon Aiyuk who was ruled out with a knee injury.
Third quarter update: The team announced that Samuel is questionable to return with his illness, per Cam Inman.
Second quarter update: Samuel is headed back to the locker room three minutes before halftime, per Tim Kawakami. He has been on the field at times, but he has been ineffective and it seems unlikely we’ll see much of him the rest of the game.
First quarter update: Samuel is not seeing playing time due to his illness. He was shown on TV wearing an oxygen mask and later talking to a team doctor. Additionally, the 49ers have put a fan behind him to help cool him down, per Tom Rinaldi.
The San Francisco 49ers announced to the media on Sunday that wide receiver Deebo Samuel has an illness, but is expected to play against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7, per Ian Rapoport. Samuel came out with the team for early warmups, but did not come out with the team once they had their uniforms on, per Jennifer Lee Chan. He was spotted by Matt Barrows getting in his final pre-game stretch ten minutes before the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.
It’s unclear what illness Samuel has, but this news suggests he’ll be in the lineup when the game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET. If you are making a last minute fantasy football roster decision, the one concern is Samuel plays a bit but realizes he can’t go and decides to sit the rest of the game. The same holds true if you’ve bet the over on Samuel prop bets.
This all comes down to how comfortable you are with the situation. Samuel could be fine and be a key cog in the 49ers offense in this Super Bowl rematch. But frankly, your guess is as good as mine as to whether or not you should find alternatives in fantasy football. If you’ve got a solid option, it might be worth playing it safe. But you wouldn’t be judged poorly for sticking with Samuel in Week 7.
