Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Garrett Wilson

Wednesday, January 21, 3:30 PM

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Wednesday that "it's safe to say" that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee), who missed the entire 2025 season, has "played his last snap as a Niner," according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. The 27-year-old has been trying to get the 49ers to release him for a while, and it was essentially a done deal when the team voided guarantees in his contract. An official transaction releasing Aiyuk will probably come in the weeks following the Super Bowl. The former 25th overall pick in 2020 out of Arizona State had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023 before signing an extension with the team before the 2024 campaign. Aiyuk wasn't living up to expectations that year before tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 7. In addition to concerns about whether he can return to his pre-injury form, Aiyuk's fantasy value going forward will depend largely on where he ends up.

Saturday, January 31, 5:33 AM

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (knee) had his 2025 season cut short by a knee injury that he suffered in Week 6. After attempting to make a comeback in Week 10, Wilson was eventually shut down for the remainder of the year. Across the seven games he played, the 25-year-old recorded 36 receptions for 395 yards and four touchdowns on 59 targets. While Wilson remains an obvious talent at the wide receiver position and profiles as the clear lead option in the Jets' passing game going forward, the offensive infrastructure around him in New York continues to be a major question mark. Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor, and Brady Cook all saw time at quarterback for the Jets in 2025, but none of them appears to be the team's long-term answer at the position. As such, Wilson will likely be working with yet another new quarterback in 2026. New York will also have a new play-caller after moving on from offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Wilson still profiles as a solid wide receiver option for fantasy managers in 2026, but the unstable situation around him limits his production certainty.