Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Jack Bech

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 18, 9:59 PM

When the Las Vegas Raiders traded away veteran wide receiver Jakobi Meyers at the NFL trade deadline, there was a thought that rookie wideout Jack Bech might see more playing time. However, across the two games that have followed, Bech has recorded just one catch for 19 yards on two targets. The 22-year-old played just nine offensive snaps in the Raiders' 33-16 Week 11 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. For the time being, Bech remains behind Tre Tucker, Tyler Lockett, and Dont'e Thornton Jr. on his team's wide receiver depth chart. Las Vegas also utilizes a lot of two-tight end formations with Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, which limits the opportunities for its depth wide receivers. Bech maintains some long-term fantasy appeal in dynasty formats, but it does not appear as though the production is going to come for him in 2025.