Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or DeMario Douglas

Thursday, August 7, 12:05 PM

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said that he "doesn't think" wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) will be cleared for Week 1, although there's still no official timetable set for his return after he tore both his ACL and MCL last year. Aiyuk has been on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list since the start of training camp, and if he remains there for the start of the regular season, he'll be forced to miss at least the first four weeks of the season. The 27-year-old had surgery on his right knee in mid-November of last year and has yet to practice at all. With Aiyuk potentially missing at least the first four weeks of 2025, he's dropped to No. 57 in RotoBaller's receiver rankings. The former first-rounder signed a big extension with San Fran before last season and then had only 25 catches for 374 yards and no touchdowns in seven games before his season-ending injury.

Wednesday, August 6, 11:51 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas was "popping" during New England's practice session on Wednesday, according to reports from Mike Reiss of ESPN. During a scrimmage against the Washington Commanders, Douglas was credited for "having a day" against their secondary. The 24-year-old is competing alongside Stefon Diggs for the top role in the wide receiver room. Last season, Douglas began to establish a strong connection with Drake Maye over the final stretch. In his last eight games, he saw just under five targets per game and eclipsed the 50-yard mark three times. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during camp as he could continue to establish himself, as the top pass catcher. For now, he is worth a look as a WR4 with upside in standard formats.