San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Tuesday that the team would like to sign wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to a long-term contract extension. "We've got a nice track record of extending guys and [Aiyuk] is a guy we'd like to keep around," Lynch said. The 25-year-old is entering the fifth and final year of his current deal in 2024 and is coming off a career-high 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 75 receptions in 16 regular-season games in 2023. Aiyuk has increased his yardage totals in each of his first four seasons in the NFL and has topped 1,000 yards receiving in each of the last two years while scoring a combined 15 touchdowns. He's racked up 3,931 yards and 25 TDs total in four years and will be a highly coveted wideout in fantasy this fall in his fifth year in San Francisco.
Feb 28, 2024 12:16 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2024, said he wants to remain a 49er "if it's the right move." When asked what that would look like, he said "being a champion." Aiyuk finished last season on a sour note after catching just three passes for 49 yards on six targets in the 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday. However, the 25-year-old former first-rounder had 75 catches (105 targets) for a career-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 regular-season games in his fourth year in the league. He has found the end zone 15 times the last two years. Aiyuk should remain plenty attractive as a strong WR2 for fantasy managers in 2024 as he heads into what could be his final season in the Bay Area.
Feb 13, 2024 5:45 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk continued a statically mediocre postseason in the team's 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. The former first-rounder finished with just three receptions -- the same number in both of his previous playoff games this season -- on six targets for 49 yards. The 16.3 yards per reception in this game were near his regular-season number of 17.9, which was second in the NFL to Pittsburgh's George Pickens who had twelve fewer receptions and virtually the same amount of targets. Still, the 49ers and fantasy managers could have used one or two more big plays out of the fourth-year pro. Aiyuk will likely enter his age-26 season as a solid WR2 in 2024 fantasy drafts.
Feb 12, 2024 2:06 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk disappointed fantasy managers in Saturday night's 24-21 comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round at Levi's Stadium. Aiyuk only mustered three catches on six targets for 32 yards. However, from a real football standpoint, Aiyuk was much more valuable. His second reception was pulled from the tops of his ankles on the run and helped the 49ers get into field goal position, points that later on would prove to be the difference in the game. His third was a difficult third-down conversion near the turf with a defender draped all over him, an important contribution to San Francisco's game-winning drive. He'll look to get back on track statistically when the 49ers face either the Detroit Lions or Tampa Bay Buccaneers in next Sunday's NFC Championship Game.
Jan 21, 2024 12:50 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will look to carry his 2023 fantasy breakout into the playoffs when he faces the Green Bay Packers at home in the Divisional Round. In his last five full games, Aiyuk has averaged 7.2 targets, 5.4 receptions, and 87.2 receiving yards per game. He had two touchdowns in that time frame. Over Green Bay's last five regular-season games, they allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to wide receivers. As of Week 17, Green Bay had run an even split of zone and man coverage, ranking 17th in each, which is relevant since Aiyuk tends to do better against man-heavy schemes. Aiyuk should be a good option in fantasy this week, and a worthy DFS play if moderately priced.
Jan 19, 2024 11:57 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk played a partial game in the team's 21-20 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. With San Francisco already locked into the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, Aiyuk saw his last action of the game in the second quarter. Before he was pulled, Aiyuk secured three of four targets for 25 yards receiving. He finishes the best fantasy year of his career with 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He'll likely be taken as a high-end WR2 in drafts this fall.
Jan 7, 2024 9:07 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is expected to start in Sunday's meaningless game versus the Los Angeles Rams in Santa Clara. With Week 17's seven-catch, 117-yard, one-touchdown performance in Washington, Aiyuk got to within six receptions of his season-long career high and needs one more touchdown to tie his career-best total of eight. The Rams represent the eighth-most favorable matchup for wide receivers in fantasy but a bigger determinant of Aiyuk's success will be his playing time, which hasn't been publicly stated. His role will likely be diminished to some degree and backup quarterback Sam Darnold is starting -- both of which add risk -- but odds are that he gets enough action to retain WR2 value.
Jan 6, 2024 2:44 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk exceeded his championship week projections in the team's 27-10 road win over the Washington Commanders. The former Sun Devil caught seven of eight targets for 114 yards and a touchdown to lead the 49ers in all categories. Aiyuk has found another gear in his fourth year, coming into Sunday as the league leader in yards per route run and adding on to his career-high yardage total. San Francisco gets the Los Angeles Rams at home in Week 18, but fantasy managers still playing will probably be looking elsewhere since that game will be meaningless for the 49ers following Sunday's clinch of the No. 1 seed.
Dec 31, 2023 5:10 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk saved his fantasy football night in the second half of last week's Christmas night loss to Baltimore. The 25-year-old went into the halftime locker room with one catch on one target for 18 yards but became a focal point of Brock Purdy's -- and then Sam Darnold's -- effort to come back from a three-touchdown deficit. Coming off the 113-yard performance, Aiyuk faces the Commanders in Washington this week, which should be a good matchup. The Commanders have allowed the second-most half-PPR points to wide receivers this year. They play man coverage at the 12th-highest rate in the league, which Aiyuk ranks fourth in the NFL against at 3.6 yards per route run. Aiyuk has a pretty safe floor this week as a must-start mid/low WR1.
Dec 30, 2023 3:30 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk caught six of seven targets for 113 yards in the team's Christmas night 33-19 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The man-coverage slayer was held to just one catch for 18 yards in the first half but became a main target late. With San Francisco attempting a three-score comeback in the fourth quarter, it was Aiyuk who briefly made the effort look achievable. 95 of his receiving yards and five of his receptions -- including a game-extending third down conversion -- came during just two fourth-quarter drives. Aiyuk and the 49ers will look to right the ship in Week 17 in Washington versus a flailing Commanders defense.
Dec 26, 2023 2:11 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will line up against a very tough Baltimore Ravens pass defense on Christmas night in Santa Clara. The Ravens have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers and come into the game at full health. The good news though, is that Aiyuk ranks third among wide receivers at 3.96 yards per route run against man coverage and Baltimore runs man at the 11th-highest rate in the NFL. Last week at Arizona he cooled off, catching three passes for 37 yards after averaging 14.9 half-PPR points per game over his previous six contests. But it seems likely that head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Brock Purdy game-plan into feeding Aiyuk as a counter to Baltimore's elite man defense, making Aiyuk a must-start in most formats in Week 16.
Dec 24, 2023 12:41 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was unable to join the scoring party in Sunday's 45-29 blowout of the Cardinals in Arizona. The 25-year-old posted three catches on five targets for a season-low 37 yards. Aiyuk initially appeared to be on the way to a productive day when he caught a pass on San Francisco's first offensive play but wasn't able to build any momentum after that. Aiyuk missed an opportunity to double his yardage total on a stop-and-go deep shot in the third quarter but he appeared to stumble, and quarterback Brock Purdy overthrew him by a step. The 49ers will need a strong performance from their best man-to-man coverage beater when they take on a quality Baltimore Ravens defense in Week 16 on Monday night
Dec 17, 2023 11:18 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is on quite the productive streak following a Week 14 win over the Seattle Seahawks. He failed to score a touchdown for the first time in four contests, but his six catches -- which yielded 126 yards receiving -- were his highest total since Week 3. Aiyuk has a fairly good matchup on Sunday, as the Arizona Cardinals have allowed the 13th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers but that matchup juice is more likely to be enjoyed by Deebo Samuel than Aiyuk. Many of Aiyuk's greatest successes this year have come against man coverage and Arizona plays the fourth-most zone in the NFL. That's not to say Aiyuk has struggled against zone coverage -- he's top five in fantasy points per route run versus zone -- just that Samuel has been even better and there are only so many targets and touchdowns to go around in San Francisco. Start Aiyuk as a high-end WR2 in Week 15.
Dec 16, 2023 1:33 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk caught six of nine targets for 126 yards in the team's 28-16 home win against the Seattle Seahawks. Sunday's performance was Aiyuk's fifth 100-yard game this year but ended a streak of four consecutive games with a touchdown. It was also the first time that both Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel exceeded 100 yards receiving in the same game, which breaks a season-long tendency for one receiver's success to come at the expense of the other. Aiyuk and Samuel also tied for the team-high in targets at a healthy nine each. In Week 15, Aiyuk gets a slightly above-average Arizona Cardinals pass defense coming off of their bye.
Dec 11, 2023 12:48 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been a valuable fantasy asset lately despite averaging just 3.75 receptions over his last four games. Aiyuk has shown a nose for the endzone to compensate for the lack of volume. He has now scored a touchdown in four consecutive games, the longest touchdown streak of his career. The former first-rounder's talents are blossoming but San Francisco's other playmakers are just as explosive, and there are only so many targets and touchdowns to go around. Aiyuk will line up against the 23rd-ranked (234.4 YDS/G) Seattle Seahawks pass defense which has allowed the eight-most wide receiver fantasy points per game. Start Aiyuk in Week 14 as a fringe WR1.
Dec 9, 2023 3:02 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was targeted a team-high seven times on Sunday in a massive 43-19 victory over the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday. He finished the day with five receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown. The second-quarter, two-yard touchdown came on a nice diving catch on a crossing route in the back of the endzone. Aiyuk has now caught exactly one touchdown in each of San Francisco's last four games. Fantasy managers could be forgiven, though, for wanting a bit more fantasy production on Sunday given the final score. Aiyuk and the 49ers host a beatable Seattle Seahawks pass defense in Week 14 and fantasy gamers will hope it's Aiyuk's turn for a monster performance in this too-many-mouths-to-feed offense.
Dec 4, 2023 2:20 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been holding his own in fantasy over the past few weeks despite limited volume. The 49ers' WR1 has averaged 16.4 half-PPR points over the past three games despite averaging only 4.3 targets and 3.3 receptions in that span. Last week in Seattle, Aiyuk finished with two catches on four targets for 50 yards but applied some touchdown deodorant midway through the fourth quarter. He enters Sunday's marquee matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles with a three-game touchdown streak and ranking second in the NFL in yards per reception at 19.6. The Eagles have allowed a whopping 30 fantasy points per game to wide receivers which is the most generous in the NFL. There's always a chance that such low volume falls flat, but Aiyuk should be slotted into fantasy lineups as a back-end WR1 with upside in what could be a Week 13 shootout.
Dec 2, 2023 4:18 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk salvaged his fantasy night with a late touchdown in a 31-13 victory over the Seahawks in Seattle. Aiyuk's 28-yard, deep in-route scoring strike was part of an otherwise quiet performance of two catches on four targets for 50 yards receiving. Midway through the first half, broadcaster Cris Collinsworth observed that the 49ers' offense was doing "whatever they want". What the 49ers wanted apparently, was to feed Deebo Samuel early. Like everyone in this offense besides Christian McCaffrey, Aiyuk will continue to have games where the targets go elsewhere. It will be Aiyuk's efficiency down the field and big-play potential that keep him in the WR1 conversation next Sunday at the Eagles, who have allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game.
Nov 24, 2023 2:29 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will go to Seattle for a Week 12 Thanksgiving night matchup with the Seahawks. Last week versus Tampa Bay, the 25-year-old exploded for 156 yards, catching five of six targets, including a 76-yard touchdown. It was his second consecutive game with a TD. Aiyuk doesn't tend to get as many targets as other teams' top producers but has made up for it with 19.3 yards per reception, good for second in the NFL to Houston's Noah Brown, who only has 21 receptions on the year to Aiyuk's 43. Seattle's pass defense has been precisely mediocre in 2023, ranking 16th in the league in standard points allowed to fantasy wide receivers. Aiyuk will look to stay on a roll as a back-end WR1 on Thanksgiving night.
Nov 22, 2023 11:23 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk took advantage of a good fantasy matchup in the team's 27-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. He finished the day with five catches on six targets for a season-high 156 yards and a touchdown. The 76-yard touchdown came on a sideline deep route against man coverage where he ran right by the corner before quarterback Brock Purdy dropped the ball in perfectly, ahead of late help from the safety. It was Aiyuk's second touchdown in as many weeks. The fourth-year pro has settled in nicely as the primary deep threat for this high-powered San Francisco offense, coming into the game leading NFL regulars at 17.8 yards per reception. Aiyuk will look to help the turkey digest easily for fantasy managers when he takes on a middling Seahawks defense in Seattle on Thanksgiving night.
Nov 20, 2023 2:15 AM EST