Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or DeMario Douglas

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.

Sunday, December 28, 11:57 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas (hamstring), who was listed as questionable for Week 17, is officially active on Sunday as the team takes on the division-rival New York Jets. Douglas has been hard to trust for fantasy managers in 2025 in his third year in the NFL, as he's caught 28 passes on 41 targets for only 408 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games played. However, he should be set up for a much bigger role this weekend with Kayshon Boutte (concussion) out and Mack Hollins (abdomen) on Injured Reserve. Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams figure to be New England's top two wideouts on Sunday in a plus matchup, but don't sleep on Douglas as the starting slot receiver in deeper fantasy football formats as a sneaky flex play. The 25-year-old pass-catcher has an opportunity to go over 50 receiving yards for only the third time this season.