Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Quentin Johnston

Wednesday, November 5, 6:04 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday that he's "pretty confident" that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) will play at some point this season, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. However, the 49ers are still waiting for Aiyuk to "hit certain markers" on GPS speed measurements before opening his 21-day practice window. Once Aiyuk returns to practice, the team will have 21 days to officially activate him from the Physically Unable to Perform list. Despite the optimism, reports on Monday suggested that the 27-year-old former first-rounder wasn't close to a return to practice, so fantasy managers who have been stashing Aiyuk all year shouldn't get their hopes up. Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7 of last year and probably won't be back in games for the 49ers until December.

Friday, November 7, 6:18 PM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston bounced back from a zero-target performance by catching four passes for 53 yards and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans. This week, he faces a vulnerable Pittsburgh Steelers defense that ranks 27th in allowing deep passes (20+ yards), which fits Johnston's downfield role. However, he is likely to have a tough matchup against Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who is giving up one of the fewest fantasy points per route run in the league (0.15). Johnston's role in the offense remains unpredictable due to the rotating group of pass-catchers, including emerging rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden. His value heavily depends on game script, since it relies on the offense creating opportunities down the field or near the goal line. Johnston should be considered a boom/bust FLEX option, projected as WR26 this week.