Week 4 Fantasy Advice: Start Deebo Samuel, Sit Emeka Egbuka

Deebo Samuel's expanding role in San Francisco makes him the Week 4 start over Emeka Egbuka, whose Tampa Bay offense turns to rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels.

Week 4 of the fantasy football season has produced a common dilemma at wide receiver: start Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers or Emeka Egbuka of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both players enter the week on the fringe of fantasy lineups, a call that could decide close matchups. A look at their situations points toward Samuel.

Samuel has been productive through three weeks, catching nine passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. That output has been promising given his career stage and the modest expectations that followed his signing with San Francisco. His snap share has also climbed every week, from 42 percent in Week 1 to 60 percent in Week 2 to 76 percent in Week 3.

His role could expand again in Week 4. Fellow 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans is listed as a game-time decision, and if Evans cannot play against the Denver Broncos, Samuel's playing time is expected to increase even more.

The matchup works in Samuel's favor regardless of Evans's status. Denver has allowed 237.0 passing yards per game over three weeks, the eighth most in the NFL, and the No. 1 receivers the Broncos have faced over their last two games finished with 98 and 137 receiving yards.

Egbuka's season has gone the other way. A big season was expected from the second-year wideout after he inherited Tampa Bay's No. 1 receiver job with Evans now in San Francisco, but Egbuka has instead recorded 13 receptions for 141 yards and one touchdown. The blame does not fall entirely on him. The Buccaneers' passing game as a whole has struggled, averaging 185.0 passing yards per game, the sixth fewest in the league.

Tampa Bay will try to revive its passing game in Week 4 under difficult circumstances. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is out with a thumb injury, leaving rookie Jalon Daniels to make his first career start. The opponent, the Green Bay Packers, has allowed 202.0 passing yards per game, the 10th fewest in the NFL.

Green Bay has still surrendered production to opposing No. 1 receivers. Garrett Wilson of the New York Jets caught five passes for 57 yards and a touchdown against the Packers in Week 2, and Drake London of the Atlanta Falcons followed with nine receptions for 194 yards in Week 3.

The recommendation for Week 4 lineups is to start Samuel and sit Egbuka. Samuel pairs a favorable matchup with a workload that should keep growing whether or not Evans plays. Egbuka, held back by inconsistent production and now working with a rookie quarterback making his first start, carries a bleak fantasy outlook for the week.

Egbuka and the Buccaneers host the Packers on Sunday, October 4, at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM EDT, with the game airing on FOX.