Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Keon Coleman

Tuesday, December 2, 11:37 AM

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said he is "not sure" but "hopeful" when asked if it's realistic to expect wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) to take the field in 2025, per David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. Aiyuk tore multiple ligaments in his knee in Week 7 of the 2024 season and has yet to play in a game since. Aiyuk was one of the most efficient wide receivers in the NFL in the last full season he played back in 2023, recording 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns on 105 targets. However, it appears as though he may not be healthy until 2026. Aiyuk also may be locked into a contract stand-off with the team, as the 49ers reportedly voided guarantees in his current contract. Between the injury and the contractual issues, fantasy managers should likely proceed as though Aiyuk will not play a fantasy-relevant role in 2025.

Saturday, December 6, 8:07 PM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman returned in Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers after serving as a healthy inactive the past two games due to disciplinary reasons. Coleman hauled in two of his three targets for nine yards and his fourth touchdown of the season. The second-year wideout hasn't taken the step forward as the team's WR1 as many had hoped, recording 34 receptions for 339 yards and four touchdowns on 52 targets in 10 games. Since his monster Week 1 performance when he collected eight receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown on a season-high 11 targets, he's been held below 50 yards in every game. Coleman has some momentum heading into Week 14 against the Bengals after scoring in back-to-back games, but he isn't a trustworthy fantasy option in 12-team leagues at this stage of the season.