Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Dyami Brown

Sunday, November 23, 11:55 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) continues to recover from last year's ACL injury, and NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports that Aiyuk is "close to being cleared" for a return. The receiver's 21-day practice window hasn't been opened yet, but the 49ers remain hopeful that he'll get back on the field in the near future. San Francisco's receiving corps could use the help as Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall have been underwhelming, combining for 53 catches, 705 yards, and three touchdowns while managing their respective injuries. Aiyuk could become an instant WR2 or WR3 in fantasy football upon his return, but an exact timetable for his activation remains unclear. This isn't the only news story we've seen about Aiyuk this week, though. A few days ago, Dianna Russini and Michael Silver of The Athletic reported that Aiyuk and the Niners were headed for a "stunning split" after the team voided his 2026 guarantees for a failure to meet contractual obligations, creating a clear path to his release next offseason. While Russini and Silver wrote that Aiyuk has likely played his final game for the 49ers, Garafolo's report seems to clarify that he'll have a good chance to get back on the field in 2025 before the team makes a decision on his future during the offseason.

Tuesday, November 11, 3:38 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Dyami Brown cleared the league's concussion protocol and was given the green light to play in the Week 10 loss to the Houston Texans. Brown had an opportunity for more involvement in the passing game with rookie first-rounder Travis Hunter (knee) on Injured Reserve and Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle) inactive, but he ended up playing just 37% of the offensive snaps while failing to catch his only target. Newcomer Jakobi Meyers led the Jags with 41 receiving yards on three catches, and Parker Washington scored through the air and on special teams. Brown has only 19 catches on 35 targets for 219 yards and one touchdown in eight games in his first year in Duval, but he makes more sense as a waiver addition in deeper leagues now that Hunter will miss the rest of the season. The 26-year-old will still be a boom/bust dart throw, though, and his short-term fantasy value will depend on whether Thomas misses more time with his ankle injury.