Should I start Puka Nacua or Deebo Samuel Sr. in Week 9?

Where the draft room stands

Live drafts hold no current pick on Puka Nacua, and the board ranks him 103rd overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 6.

Live drafts hold no current pick on Deebo Samuel Sr., and the board ranks him 104th overall on the rest of his evidence.

The market-based projections

The market-based projection for Puka Nacua is 3.9 PPR points a game off 1 market across 8 market sources. That is 30 percent of what a wide receiver's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.

The market has Deebo Samuel Sr. at 3.9 PPR points a game off 1 market across 7 market sources. That is 30 percent of what a wide receiver's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.

Puka Nacua's projection is not complete, so the two figures are not set against each other here.

This season so far

Through Week 8, Puka Nacua has been on the field for 86 percent of LAR snaps, drawn 34 percent of the targets and had 22 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 20 of the offence's 48 third down targets, had 3 of its 18 chances inside the five and seen 8 of its 26 two minute targets.

His 74 targets have averaged 7.7 air yards.

In Week 6 against ARI he caught 6 of 7 targets for 80 yards and did not score.

In Week 7 against LV he carried 2 times for 10 yards, caught 8 of 10 targets for 68 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

In Week 8 against LAC he caught 11 of 12 targets for 80 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

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 Puka Nacua played 16 games and scored 375.0 PPR points, 23.4 a game, finishing WR1.

He caught 129 of 166 targets for 1715 yards and 10 touchdowns, with 16 red zone targets.

That came to 10.4 targets a game, a 78 percent catch rate and 13.3 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 68 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.

Both were available for 16 games that season.

Head to head

In 2025 Puka Nacua scored 23.4 PPR points a game and Deebo Samuel Sr. 11.8, 11.7 a game between them.

Puka Nacua finished WR1 that year and Deebo Samuel Sr. WR25.

Puka Nacua had 67 more targets than Deebo Samuel Sr., 166 to 99.

Puka Nacua had 988 more receiving yards than Deebo Samuel Sr., 1715 to 727.

This season Puka Nacua holds the bigger snap share, 86 percent against 57 percent.

This season Puka Nacua holds the bigger target share, 34 percent against 15 percent.

Byes and availability

Puka Nacua is off in Week 11 and Deebo Samuel Sr. in Week 8, so either can cover the other's bye.

Deebo Samuel Sr. is listed as out on the injury report.