Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Emeka Egbuka

Tuesday, August 26, 5:06 PM

The San Francisco 49ers officially placed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list to begin the 2025 season, which means he will miss at least the first four contests. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already said that Aiyuk might be targeting a return around Week 6 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 27-year-old suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7 of last season, which is why he's not ready for the start of 2025. The former first-round wideout had been a major disappointment in fantasy before his season-ending knee injury, too, as he caught just 25 of 47 targets for 374 yards and didn't find the end zone once in seven games. It's understandable for fantasy managers to want to avoid him altogether this year, although he's still worth drafting in leagues with IR spots. With Aiyuk sidelined, Jauan Jennings (calf) and Ricky Pearsall should serve as the top wideouts in San Fran.

Thursday, August 28, 4:38 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka could be in store for a massive role in the passing attack early in the season. According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Tampa Bay veteran wideout Chris Godwin (ankle) is not expected to return to action until October. In addition, second-year wideout Jalen McMillan (neck) is slated to miss the vast majority of the season. As a result, Egbuka could slot in as the clear No. 2 option opposite Mike Evans for the better part of his debut season. The Buccaneers selected Egbuka out of Ohio State in the opening round of this year's draft. Egbuka finished his time at Ohio State, totalling 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final campaign. Given Tampa Bay's current wide receiver room, Egbuka's ADP will continue to climb as the regular season approaches. He should hold WR2 value with upside during their Week 1 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.