Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Pat Bryant

Tuesday, August 26, 5:06 PM

The San Francisco 49ers officially placed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list to begin the 2025 season, which means he will miss at least the first four contests. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already said that Aiyuk might be targeting a return around Week 6 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 27-year-old suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7 of last season, which is why he's not ready for the start of 2025. The former first-round wideout had been a major disappointment in fantasy before his season-ending knee injury, too, as he caught just 25 of 47 targets for 374 yards and didn't find the end zone once in seven games. It's understandable for fantasy managers to want to avoid him altogether this year, although he's still worth drafting in leagues with IR spots. With Aiyuk sidelined, Jauan Jennings (calf) and Ricky Pearsall should serve as the top wideouts in San Fran.

Saturday, September 6, 1:03 PM

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Pat Bryant enters Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans as a deep sleeper to monitor. The third-round pick brings size and physicality to the Broncos' offense and profiles as a future red-zone threat alongside Courtland Sutton. Long term, his role should grow, but in the short term, his path to playing time is blocked by Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., and fellow rookie Troy Franklin. Even if Bryant sees the field, this isn't the week to roll the dice. The Titans' defense allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2024, making Denver's passing attack a tough bet. For now, Bryant belongs on the waiver wire watchlist rather than in fantasy lineups.