Deebo Samuel or Puka Nacua: Who should I start in Week 13 Fantasy Football?

Deebo Samuel and Puka Nacua hold similar fantasy football values entering Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season. They both serve as the WR2 for their NFL teams this year, as well as profiling as WR2's on most fantasy rosters. This creates a scenario where many fantasy managers may debate who makes for a better lineup option this week.

With the 2023 fantasy football playoffs right around the corner, every lineup decision will be magnified. A wrong one can truly be the difference between a playoff appearance and an early end to the season. For those debating between Samuel and Nacua, the following breakdown can help to make the right decision.

Is Deebo Samuel a good fantasy pick in Week 13?

Deebo Samuel

The San Francisco 49ers feature one of the most loaded offenses in the entire NFL. This hasn't stopped Deebo Samuel from continuing to be an asset in fantasy football. Despite the emergence of Brandon Aiyuk as their leading receiver, Samuel still ranks as the overall WR26 in PPR leagues. He has done so despite missing two games and failing to record a reception in two others.

What makes Samuel different from any other wide receiver in the NFL are his consistent rushing contributions and his traditional role as a wide receiver. This gives him additional opportunities to increase his fantasy football value, including three rushing touchdowns this year. He has also finished among the top 20 wide receivers four times this season, including in two of the past three weeks.

His recent incredible form and a favorable matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13 make Deebo Samuel a desirable target in fantasy football lineups. The Eagles have been torched by wide receivers all season long, including allowing the most fantasy points per game to the position this year. Add in a potentially high-scoring shootout and Samuel could be in line for a huge game.

Is Puka Nacua a good fantasy pick in Week 13?

Puka Nacua

Every fantasy football season features breakout players who seemingly come out of nowhere to emerge as unexpected stars. Puka Nacua is one of the best examples of this in 2023. After going unselected in most fantasy drafts this year, he has established himself as a reliable WR2 on many fantasy rosters. This includes six finishes among the top 12 weekly wide receivers.

The one major factor that complicates Nacua's fantasy value is that most of his best games this season came before Cooper Kupp returned to the Los Angeles Rams. Four of his six top 12's occurred when Kupp was injured. Nacua has remained in a prominent role in the Rams' offense, earning at least seven targets in each of their past four games with Kupp in the lineup, keeping him a strong fantasy option.

Up next for the breakout rookie is a challenging Week 13 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. They have been one of the best defenses in the NFL this season in many statistical categories and feature one of the best passing defenses in the league. This includes allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers.

Deebo Samuel vs. Puka Nacua: Who should I start in Week 13 fantasy football?

Samuel vs Nacua

According to the Start/Sit Optimizer, Deebo Samuel is a better wide receiver option than Puka Nacua in fantasy football lineups for Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season. This valuable tool weighs every possible variable for any player in a given week to generate fantasy projections and lineup suggestions. In this particular scenario it favors Samuel for a higher projected output.

Interestingly, the two receivers earned the exact same projections for receiving yards and touchdowns this week, though Samuel's expected receptions are slightly higher. Where Nacua is at a severe disadvantage in the direct comparison with Samuel is projected rushing contributions. This shouldn't come as a surprise, considering their usual offensive roles.

Potential game scripts and direct weekly matchups also play a major role in Samuel receiving a higher projected fantasy score in Week 13. Nacua is expected to play in a much lower-scoring game against an elite defense. This makes Samuel's situation much more favorable this week and makes him the preferred lineup option.