Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Puka Nacua

Friday, November 15, 7:10 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) had surgery on his right knee earlier this week to fix a torn ACL and other damage. In addition to tearing his ACL, Aiyuk also tore his MCL in the Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and will miss the rest of the season. He should have already been dropped in single-season fantasy leagues. It remains to be seen if the 26-year-old will make enough progress in his rehab in the offseason in order to be ready to play in Week 1 of the 2025 regular season next fall. For the rest of 2024, receivers Deebo Samuel Sr. and Jauan Jennings and tight end George Kittle should be the most-targeted pass-catchers, with rookie first-rounder Ricky Pearsall also seeing an expanded role in the passing attack. Aiyuk was an absolute fantasy bust this year, finishing with 25 catches for 374 yards and no touchdowns in seven games.

Friday, December 20, 9:50 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua has missed time this season due to injury. However, he's been a quality wideout when healthy, as expected, catching 61 passes for 805 yards and three touchdowns in nine appearances. Although a few more end zone trips from the 23-year-old would be nice, fantasy managers are happy as long as he stays on the field. With the Rams currently sitting atop the NFC West, the team needs a win against the Jets in Week 16 to enhance their chances of earning a postseason berth. While the Jets defense can be a problem at times, that shouldn't keep Nacua out of any fantasy lineup on Sunday. Keep him starting.