Analyze Xavier Worthy's matchup for week 9
Deebo Samuel is a locked-in WR1 play against a Falcons defense allowing the league's highest slot catch rate, coming off a 12-target Week 8 and with CMC back to keep defenses honest.
Atlanta’s defense is quietly bottom-five in pass DVOA and has allowed 10 slot TDs in 8 games, a direct path to Samuel’s preferred workspace. Expect Shanahan to manufacture 6-8 manufactured touches on crossers, sweeps and screens, giving him a 20-point ceiling even without a deep ball.
The 49ers’ Swiss-army weapon has strung together three straight weeks with at least 100 combined yards and a TD, averaging 9.7 yards per target from the slot.
The Falcons have allowed 8 WR touchdowns the last four weeks, four of which came on slot fades and seams—routes Samuel runs at elite efficiency. Expect 9–11 targets, 90–110 receiving yards, 15–25 rushing yards and a 40% chance of a score, good for a 18-24 point projection in PPR.