Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Joshua Palmer

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.

Thursday, January 8, 1:39 PM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle) was not seen at the portion of practice open to the media on Thursday, according to Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. Palmer played over 80 percent of the offensive snaps in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the New York Jets, but he has yet to practice this week and is in danger of missing the Wild-Card tilt this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 26-year-old wideout missed Weeks 13-15 with an ankle injury, but it's unclear if he's dealing with an aggravation of that injury or a new one. Either way, Palmer's status is up in the air for this weekend. He has not been on the fantasy radar all year in his first season in Buffalo, catching just 22 of 37 targets for 303 yards and no touchdowns. If Palmer is inactive against the Jags, it will open more playing time for Brandin Cooks, Gabe Davis, and Tyrell Shavers.