Aiyuk is best valued as a No. 3 receiver you should draft in Round 7 or Round 8. There are too many mouths to feed in San Francisco, but the injury history for George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, and Deebo Samuel suggests that may not be the case for long. Aiyuk posted career highs last year in both target share (22.6%) and yards per route run (1.91) and should remain a very efficient wide receiver as long as Brock Purdy is healthy for Week 1. We would downgrade Aiyuk a little more if Trey Lance wins the job because we would expect a more run-heavy offense with less pass volume.
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Sitting out Thursday, as expected
Rotowire
Aiyuk (shoulder) is listed as inactive Thursday against the Giants, Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers' official site reports.
Aiyuk played through a left shoulder injury during the 49ers' Week 2 win at the Rams, handling 30 of 57 offensive snaps on his way to three catches (on six targets) for 43 yards. He proceeded to be listed as a non-participant on Monday's practice estimate before capping Week 3 prep with back-to-back limited listings. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Thursday afternoon that Aiyuk was unlikely to suit up versus New York, and indeed that has come to pass. With Aiyuk sidelined, Jauan Jennings is the top candidate to absorb the former's typical workload alongside Deebo Samuel, but rookie Ronnie Bell, Ray-Ray McCloud and practice-squad call-up Chris Conley also may get in the WR mix for San Francisco.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Likely to sit out Thursday
Rotowire
Aiyuk (shoulder), who is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Giants, isn't expected to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Aiyuk's status will be confirmed approximately 90 minutes prior to the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, when the 49ers release their inactive list. With Aiyuk on track to miss the Week 3 contest, Jauan Jennings, Ronnie Bell and Ray-Ray McCloud could be all be in store for expanded opportunities in both two- and three-receiver sets, though No. 1 wideout Deebo Samuel, tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey profile as quarterback Brock Purdy's top three options in the passing game.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Questionable for Thursday
Rotowire
Aiyuk (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Giants, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
The 49ers posted practice estimates Monday and Tuesday, which included Aiyuk as a non-participant on the first one and a limited participant on the second. He was able to play through a left shoulder injury that he suffered early on in this past Sunday's road win against the Rams, logging 52 percent of the offensive snaps en route to three catches (on six targets) for 43 yards. Aiyuk's availability Thursday will become known about 90 minutes before an 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, but if he's inactive for the contest or available to play only limited snaps, Jauan Jennings and Ronnie Bell would stand to benefit behind Deebo Samuel.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Slated for limited practice
Rotowire
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Aiyuk (shoulder) will be a limited participant in Tuesday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Aiyuk had been listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated practice report, but the receiver will apparently be able to log some reps Tuesday when the 49ers actually take the field. Because the 49ers are facing a quick turnaround from this past Sunday's win over the Rams, Aiyuk may not have enough time to fully move past his left shoulder injury ahead of Thursday's game agains the Giants. At this stage of the week, Shanahan labeled Aiyuk as a game-time decision ahead of Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Dealing with shoulder issue
Rotowire
Aiyuk (shoulder) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's practice estimation, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Per Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers' official site, a left shoulder injury kept Aiyuk out for a select number of plays during Sunday's 30-23 win over the Rams, so the wideout's status will need to be monitored as Thursday night's game against the Giants approaches. In the 30 snaps on offense (out of a possible 57) that Aiyuk logged versus Los Angeles, the 49ers' starting WR caught three of his six targets for 43 yards.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Plays through shoulder injury
Rotowire
Head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Aiyuk suffered a shoulder injury in Sunday's win over the Rams that limited his playing time, according to 49ers' team reporter Lindsey Pallares.
Aiyuk was able to finish the game and post a final line of three catches on six targets for 43 yards. The 25-year-old suffered the shoulder injury in the first quarter and was seen being worked on by trainers at various points of contest. Aiyuk didn't appear limited when he would return to action, which is a positive sign for his availability moving forward. That said, it wouldn't be surprising to see Aiyuk's name pop up on the injury report with a Thursday matchup against the Giants on tap for Week 3.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Hauls in 35-yard pass
Rotowire
Aiyuk caught one of three targets for 35 yards in Friday's preseason game against the Chargers.
Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel each accounted for three of Brock Purdy's nine pass attempts as the 49ers' starters easily made their way down the field against the Chargers' backups. Things might not look so easy Week 1 at Pittsburgh, though the cornerbacks are probably the relative weak point of an otherwise stellar Steelers defense.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Sees first action of 2023
Rotowire
Aiyuk hauled in his lone target for 15 yards in Saturday's 21-20 preseason win over Denver.
Aiyuk got his first taste of action this preseason along with the rest of the starting wideouts Saturday. San Francisco also welcomed back starting quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow) from injury, who found Aiyuk for a 15-yard gain on the first-team offense's lone drive. The 2020 first-round pick blossomed into a reliable fantasy option last season after posting a career-best 78-1,015-8 receiving line across 17 games. Deebo Samuel is still the 49ers' top option at wide receiver, but Aiyuk could narrow that gap if he takes another step forward heading into the fourth and final year of his rookie contract.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: In line to play Saturday
Rotowire
Aiyuk is in uniform for Saturday's preseason contest versus the Broncos, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
With Brock Purdy expected to see his first game action since he injured his right throwing elbow in last season's NFC Championship Game loss in Philadelphia, he's slated to have his top two wide receivers available in Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. In the upcoming campaign, Aiyuk will be looking to replicate his breakout 2022 in which he hauled in 78 passes for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 contests.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Looking to build on strong 2022
Rotowire
Aiyuk has been standing out early in San Francisco's offseason team activities, Jerry McDonald of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Fellow starter Deebo Samuel has yet to participate in OTAs, leaving Aiyuk to operate as the 49ers' top wideout in camp. The 25-year-old has taken advantage of that opportunity, impressing the coaching staff with his play early in team practices. Aiyuk is coming off of his best professional season in 2022, and he seems to be pushing to take yet another step forward in 2023.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Held to one catch in loss
Rotowire
Aiyuk caught his lone target for 10 yards in Sunday's 31-7 NFC Championship Game loss to the Eagles.
The 49ers suffered injuries to both of its active quarterbacks in this crushing playoff loss, resulting in down receiving games for Aiyuk and the rest of the receiving unit. It was a salty finish to a positive season for the 24-year-old, who set new career highs in receptions (78), receiving yards (1,015) and touchdowns (eight). Aiyuk will enter the final year of his rookie contract looking to build off of the strides he made in 2022.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Struggles in divisional round
Rotowire
Aiyuk had two receptions (four targets) for 26 yards in Sunday's 19-12 playoff win over the Cowboys.
Aiyuk turned in one of his worst statistical performances of the year, tying his season-low in receptions (two) while garnering his second-lowest target total (four). The 24-year-old has fallen out of favor in the playoffs with Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey dominating recent box scores. That being said, Aiyuk still possesses the fantasy potential to warrant consideration in DFS formats for the upcoming NFC Championship Game against the Eagles next Sunday.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Effective despite low usage
Rotowire
Aiyuk caught three of five targets for 73 yards in Saturday's 41-23 win over Seattle.
Aiyuk took a bit of a back seat to Deebo Samuel (6-133-1), who reclaimed his No. 1 role after being eased back into the lineup in the regular-season finale. The 24-year-old Aiyuk still produced a solid fantasy line with a couple of big chunk plays, although he did drop a would-be touchdown that hit him in the hands in the corner of the end zone. Even with the 49ers returning to full strength on offense, Aiyuk should remain a consistent DFS option heading into the divisional round.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Leads team with 59 yards
Rotowire
Aiyuk had four receptions (five targets) for 59 yards in Sunday's 38-13 win over Arizona.
Aiyuk was the leading receiver for San Francisco on a low-volume passing day, but it was his teammates George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey who cashed in on Brock Purdy's three touchdown throws. The 24-year-old finishes the regular season with career highs in receptions (78), receiving yards (1,015) and touchdowns (eight) across 17 games. Aiyuk welcomed back fellow starting wideout Deebo Samuel (ankle/knee) Sunday, giving the 49ers a full complement of playmakers who could go off in the playoffs.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: First 100-yard game this season
Rotowire
Aiyuk had nine receptions (12 targets) for 101 yards and a touchdown while rushing once for 16 yards in Sunday's 37-34 win over the Raiders.
Aiyuk did his best Deebo Samuel (knee/ankle) impression in potentially his last game replacing his injured teammate, taking his second carry of the season for 16 yards on a designed end around. The 24-year-old also produced his first 100-yard receiving game of the season, but that's not to say that he hasn't provided consistent fantasy numbers all year long. Aiyuk will carry a healthy 74-956-8 receiving line into a favorable matchup against the Cardinals in Week 18.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
Rotowire
The 49ers could get Deebo Samuel (knee/ankle) back in Week 17, which is something to monitor, but if he remains out then consider Aiyuk a borderline starter in all two-receiver leagues and a must-start option in three-receiver formats. He's 145 yards away from his first 1,000-yard season, and hopefully the 49ers can get him there sooner rather than later with two games to play. He also has scored 13 PPR points in two of three starts with Brock Purdy, including five catches for 81 yards on seven targets in Week 16 against Washington.
Of course there's potential for Aiyuk to have a monster game -- he's due and the Raiders should provide a bunch of opportunities for the Niners to dunk on them. But there's also a chance he comes up a little lean, just as he has in most of his games with Purdy. I'd chance it with him over Jahan Dotson, Darius Slayton, Adam Thielen and Courtland Sutton.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Sleeper WRs
Rotowire
The 49ers could get Deebo Samuel (knee/ankle) back in Week 17, which is something to monitor, but if he remains out, consider Aiyuk a borderline starter in all two-receiver leagues and a must-start option in three-receiver formats. He's 145 yards away from his first 1,000-yard season, and hopefully the 49ers can get him there sooner rather than later with two games to play. He also has scored 13 PPR points in two of three starts with Brock Purdy, including five catches for 81 yards on seven targets in Week 16 against Washington.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Bounces back with solid effort
Rotowire
Aiyuk hauled in five of seven targets for 81 yards in Saturday's 37-20 win over the Commanders.
Aiyuk was coming off of his worst fantasy outing of the season (2/19/0), so Saturday's return to normalcy was a welcomed sight for his managers. The 24-year-old also set a new career high in receiving yards (855) despite catching balls from three different quarterbacks this season, which is a testament to the strides the wideout has made in his third year as a pro. Aiyuk will look to finish his career year in style with two favorable matchups against Arizona in Week 18 and Oakland next Sunday.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: WRs to Sit
Rotowire
In three appearances with Brock Purdy, Aiyuk is averaging just 8.3 PPR points with nine catches for 152 yards and one touchdown on 16 targets. He's not getting featured to our liking with Deebo Samuel (knee/ankle) out, and it's hard to anticipate that changing in Week 16 against Washington. The Commanders also have allowed just two touchdowns to receivers since Week 6, so the matchup is tough on top of Aiyuk's lack of involvement in the offense. Aiyuk is just a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues.
