Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Emeka Egbuka

Tuesday, October 14, 3:21 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is getting "closer and closer" to returning to practice following his ACL and MCL tears in his right knee in Week 7 of last year. While the Niners aren't giving any specific date for a potential return to the practice field for Aiyuk, Shanahan mentioned Week 10 as a rough estimate, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Despite the Niners also dealing with injuries to receivers Jauan Jennings (ribs) and Ricky Pearsall and tight end George Kittle (hamstring), Aiyuk isn't going to be rushed back. And even if Aiyuk does return to practice ahead of the team's Week 10 game against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, it doesn't mean the former first-rounder would be active for his season debut that week. Once Aiyuk's practice window is open, the 49ers will have 21 days to officially activate him from the Physically Unable to Perform list. Fantasy managers who are stashing Aiyuk must remain patient.

Saturday, October 18, 12:43 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) suffered a hamstring injury in Week 6 that caused him to miss practice on both Thursday and Friday of this week. However, Egbuka was able to log a limited practice on Saturday, and his status for his team's Week 7 game against the Detroit Lions on Monday will be a "game-time decision," per Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles. Egbuka has been excellent through the first six weeks of his NFL career, recording 27 catches for 469 yards and five touchdowns on 42 targets. Fantasy managers are now faced with a tough choice in Week 7, as they likely will not know whether Egbuka is active until Monday evening. The Buccaneers could get star wideout Mike Evans (hamstring) back from a hamstring injury against Detroit, but he remains a game-time decision as well. Tampa Bay will rely on Sterling Shephard, Tez Johnson, and Kameron Johnson for wide receiver production if Egbuka remains out.