Should I start Michael Pittman Jr. or Deebo Samuel Sr. in Week 8?
Updated Oct 27, 1:06 PM ET. Week 9 answers post Tuesday.
Start Michael Pittman Jr.: 78 percent of the snaps and 11 percent of the targets over their last 3 games, against Deebo Samuel Sr.'s 62 percent of the snaps and 11 percent of the targets. No market projection is posted on either of them this week, so this is a usage call, and a lower confidence one than a call made on a projection. What follows is what each of them has done.
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Neither man carries a season projection right now, so this is their usage this season and their last full season's numbers, side by side.
WR · PIT · bye 9
2025 vs rec yds line 5-12
- Overall rank
- 246
WR · SF · on bye this week
2026 vs anytime td line 3-2
- Overall rank
- 248
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The gap
- Board size293 draftable players
Draft data is not current for these two, so the figures that depend on it are left out. The call above comes from each player's usage.
Where the draft room stands
Live drafts hold no current pick on Michael Pittman Jr., and the board ranks him 246th overall on the rest of his evidence.
Live drafts hold no current pick on Deebo Samuel Sr., and the board ranks him 248th overall on the rest of his evidence.
The market-based projections
No season market is posted for Michael Pittman Jr., so the only market valuing him on this page is the draft room.
No season market is posted for Deebo Samuel Sr., so the only market valuing him on this page is the draft room.
Neither carries a posted market, so this page rests on the draft room and on what the two have already done.
This season so far
Through Week 4, Michael Pittman Jr. has been on the field for 78 percent of PIT snaps, drawn 11 percent of the targets and had 0 percent of the red zone chances.
He has taken 3 of the offence's 24 third down targets, had 0 of its 1 chance inside the five and seen 1 of its 15 two minute targets.
His 12 targets have averaged 9.4 air yards.
In Week 1 against ATL he caught 3 of 3 targets for 58 yards and did not score.
In Week 3 against CIN he caught 2 of 5 targets for 16 yards and did not score.
In Week 4 against CLE he caught 2 of 4 targets for 15 yards and did not score.
Through Week 5, Deebo Samuel Sr. has been on the field for 57 percent of SF snaps, drawn 15 percent of the targets and had 10 percent of the red zone chances.
He has taken 2 of the offence's 35 third down targets, had 2 of its 14 chances inside the five and seen 2 of its 21 two minute targets.
His 20 targets have averaged 2.6 air yards.
In Week 3 against ARI he carried 2 times for 14 yards and did not score.
In Week 4 against DEN he carried 3 times for 44 yards, caught 5 of 6 targets for 26 yards and scored 1 touchdown.
In Week 5 against SEA he carried 2 times for 4 yards, caught 2 of 3 targets for 21 yards and did not score.
Their 2025 seasons
In 2025 Michael Pittman Jr. played 17 games and scored 202.4 PPR points, 11.9 a game, finishing WR18.
He caught 80 of 111 targets for 784 yards and 7 touchdowns, with 12 red zone targets.
That came to 6-7 targets a game, a 72 percent catch rate and 9.8 yards a catch.
He was on the field for 85 percent of the snaps in the games he played.
In 2025 Deebo Samuel Sr. played 16 games and scored 188.2 PPR points, 11.8 a game, finishing WR25.
He caught 72 of 99 targets for 727 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 11 red zone targets.
That came to 6.2 targets a game, a 73 percent catch rate and 10.1 yards a catch.
He was on the field for 72 percent of the snaps in the games he played.
Michael Pittman Jr. was available for 1 game more.
Head to head
In 2025 Michael Pittman Jr. scored 11.9 PPR points a game and Deebo Samuel Sr. 11.8, 0.1 a game between them.
Michael Pittman Jr. finished WR18 that year and Deebo Samuel Sr. WR25.
Michael Pittman Jr. had 12 more targets than Deebo Samuel Sr., 111 to 99.
Michael Pittman Jr. had 57 more receiving yards than Deebo Samuel Sr., 784 to 727.
This season Michael Pittman Jr. holds the bigger snap share, 78 percent against 57 percent.
This season Deebo Samuel Sr. holds the bigger target share, 15 percent against 11 percent.
Byes and availability
Michael Pittman Jr. is off in Week 9 and Deebo Samuel Sr. in Week 8, so either can cover the other's bye.
Michael Pittman Jr. is listed as ir on the injury report.
Deebo Samuel Sr. is listed as out on the injury report.
Both players in full
Week 8 on the board
- Is Michael Pittman Jr. playing Week 8?
- Is Deebo Samuel Sr. playing Week 8?
- Steelers depth chart
- 49ers depth chart
- Week 8 WR rankings
- Week 8 fantasy rankings
- Week 8 start or sit
- Week 8 waiver wire
- Week 8 trade value chart
- Trade deadline buy low, sell high
- Fantasy football rankings
- Start 'em sit 'em Week 8
- Waiver wire pickups
- Fantasy sleepers
- Rest of season rankings
- Week 8 kicker rankings
- Week 8 defense rankings
