Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Rashid Shaheed

Friday, May 30, 12:36 PM

There is still no official timeline for San Francisco 49ers Brandon Aiyuk's (knee) return in 2025, but general manager John Lynch expressed some optimism regarding his recovery from a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee that he suffered last October. "Brandon's tracking in a good way with his knee, and you've just got to kind of let that play out," Lynch said. "We're not going to put him out there until he's ready, but we're excited with our receiver group and where we're at." Aiyuk will most likely not be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season, but if he continues to make strides in his rehab, he could return sooner than later. Regardless, the 27-year-old's fantasy stock has taken a big hit after he caught just 25 passes for 374 yards and no touchdowns in seven games before his season-ending injury last year. Until Aiyuk is able to return, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) will be the team's top wideouts.

Thursday, October 17, 4:42 PM

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (knee) will miss the remainder of the 2024 season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Shaheed was placed on the injured reserve earlier on Thursday but now faces a four-to-six-month recovery, which will keep him out for the remainder of the season. This is a significant loss for the New Orleans passing attack, as Shaheed was enjoying a breakout campaign. Across the first six weeks, Shaheed eclipsed 15.0 PPR points four times and averaged 58.2 yards per game. Fantasy managers should expect Chris Olave to be the top option once he returns from his concussion. On Thursday evening against the Denver Broncos, Bub Means and Mason Tipton will likely operate as the top two pass catchers.