Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Cedric Tillman

Thursday, July 10, 9:05 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is expected to start the 2025 season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which would sideline him for the first four games as he recovers from ACL and MCL tears in his right knee that he suffered in October of last year, per 49ers Webzone's David Bonilla. The Niners have already said that Aiyuk won't be ready for the start of training camp on July 22, and he's unlikely to be ready to go for Week 1 against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 7. However, the 27-year-old wideout has looked great during his rehab this offseason, which suggests there's still a chance he could be ready for the season opener. San Fran will likely play it safe with Aiyuk, who disappointed with 25 catches for 374 yards and no touchdowns in 2024 before his injury. Even with Deebo Samuel Sr. gone, Aiyuk will face plenty of competition for targets when he returns, and will he even be the same receiver? His fantasy stock has taken a huge hit going into 2025.

Saturday, June 28, 11:22 AM

The Athletic's Zac Jackson writes that the Cleveland Browns are banking on wide receiver Cedric Tillman building on his big stretch in the middle of last season since they didn't draft a receiver and only added Diontae Johnson in free agency. Jackson adds that Tillman should be in for a full-time role in 2025 and could complement WR1 Jerry Jeudy in an offense that could incorporate a lot of deep passes if veteran Joe Flacco wins the quarterback job. The advantage that Tillman has is his size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds), and he scored his first three NFL touchdowns in October and November of last year. Although he missed the last six games of 2024 with a concussion, he's still viewed as an ascending player and has two years left on his rookie deal. Even with more opportunity, Tillman will likely be viewed as a WR5/6 target in deeper fantasy formats for receiver depth.