Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Andrei Iosivas

Tuesday, August 26, 5:06 PM

The San Francisco 49ers officially placed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list to begin the 2025 season, which means he will miss at least the first four contests. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already said that Aiyuk might be targeting a return around Week 6 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 27-year-old suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7 of last season, which is why he's not ready for the start of 2025. The former first-round wideout had been a major disappointment in fantasy before his season-ending knee injury, too, as he caught just 25 of 47 targets for 374 yards and didn't find the end zone once in seven games. It's understandable for fantasy managers to want to avoid him altogether this year, although he's still worth drafting in leagues with IR spots. With Aiyuk sidelined, Jauan Jennings (calf) and Ricky Pearsall should serve as the top wideouts in San Fran.

Thursday, July 31, 3:55 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas had a relatively productive sophomore season in 2024, securing 36 of his 61 targets for 479 yards and six touchdowns. According to ESPN Bengals reporter Ben Baby, the former sixth-round pick out of Princeton has had a stellar start to his third training camp. "Iosivas continued his dazzling camp with a couple of big-time catches from quarterback Joe Burrow," Baby wrote. "Early on Wednesday, Iosivas had some very strong reps in a 1-on-1 drill. But the highlight of the day was a one-handed snag down the middle of the field, even with cornerback Josh Newton making the throwing window a tight one. It was an example of how much Iosivas has grown over the years." While Iosivas is stuck behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the target pecking order, he's one of the top "handcuff" wide receivers in fantasy football. Should Higgins or Chase have to miss time, he could be a productive streaming option for fantasy managers in a pinch. He presents more upside in deep leagues or best ball formats as part of one of the best passing offenses in the NFL.