Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Jerome Ford

Monday, October 21, 7:15 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is out for the rest of the 2024 season after tearing both his right ACL and MCL in the Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. An MRI exam on Monday morning confirmed the team's fears of a season-ending injury to one of their top wideouts. Aiyuk had a notable offseason saga with the Niners when they couldn't come to an agreement on a long-term contract extension until Aug. 29, when they signed him to a four-year, $120 million deal. The former first-rounder was a complete bust this year in fantasy, catching only 25 passes for 374 yards and no TDs in his seven games. With Deebo Samuel Sr. dealing with pneumonia, Jauan Jennings (hip) suddenly will become a hot waiver-wire pickup this week, as well as rookie first-rounder Ricky Pearsall in deeper leagues.

Friday, October 18, 2:18 PM

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (hamstring) has been ruled out ahead of the Week 7 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. This doesn't come as much of a shock after head coach Kevin Stefanski recently said Ford is considered week-to-week. Ford hasn't practiced all week, so fantasy managers will need to be hopeful for a Week 8 return. However, it's worth noting that fellow back Nick Chubb (knee) is likely to make his season debut this weekend. He figures to take over the bulk of the carries once he's back to full speed. Nyheim Hines (knee) is unlikely to play, so Chubb could be forced into a big role during his first game back.