Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Jalen Nailor

Thursday, December 18, 4:18 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) has been "extremely distant" from the team since suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 7 of the 2024 season, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. The 27-year-old has not played a game since that point. The 49ers voided guarantees in his contract for 2026 and placed him on the reserve/left squad list on Saturday, officially ending his 2025 season. All signs seem to indicate that Aiyuk and the 49ers are likely to go their separate ways this offseason. In his last fully healthy season in 2023, Aiyuk recorded 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns on 105 targets. He has a chance to get back to his superstar heights if he can get fully healthy and find the right team. However, his health and the way his current situation in San Francisco has unfolded may bring about question marks for dynasty league fantasy managers.

Friday, December 19, 4:12 PM

A week ago, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor (back) came up big on national TV with two touchdown catches in a victory at Dallas, but he should be considered more of a desperation option in Week 16 at the New York Giants. Nailor appears to be developing a connection with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and he's earning regular playing time, having played at least half of the Vikings' snaps in 13 of 14 games. Though he came off the injury report and should play on Sunday, Nailor just isn't earning enough targets to rely upon in the majority of fantasy formats. The Michigan State product had one or zero catches in seven of 14 games, and he's caught more than three passes in a game three times in three years. While the Giants rank a lowly 29th against half-PPR receivers, Nailor's inconsistent volume makes him challenging to rely upon in Week 16.