Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Darnell Mooney

Thursday, December 18, 4:18 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) has been "extremely distant" from the team since suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 7 of the 2024 season, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. The 27-year-old has not played a game since that point. The 49ers voided guarantees in his contract for 2026 and placed him on the reserve/left squad list on Saturday, officially ending his 2025 season. All signs seem to indicate that Aiyuk and the 49ers are likely to go their separate ways this offseason. In his last fully healthy season in 2023, Aiyuk recorded 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns on 105 targets. He has a chance to get back to his superstar heights if he can get fully healthy and find the right team. However, his health and the way his current situation in San Francisco has unfolded may bring about question marks for dynasty league fantasy managers.

Tuesday, December 23, 4:02 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney continued to be an afterthought in the Atlanta offense, drawing just two targets in Sunday's 26-19 win over the Cardinals. The 28-year-old converted both targets into receptions for 24 yards, but is firmly behind Drake London (knee), Kyle Pitts Sr., and Bijan Robinson in the receiving pecking order, giving him little fantasy relevance. Even when London was absent the last four weeks, he failed to carve out a consistent role, with David Sills V finding more success than the 5-foot-11 receiver in those contests. The veteran wideout does have a favorable matchup in Week 17 against a Rams defense that is bottom 10 in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers, so he could be a deep league dart throw for managers desperate enough to need his services, but it is probably a situation to avoid if possible.