Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Rashod Bateman

Sunday, November 23, 11:55 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) continues to recover from last year's ACL injury, and NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports that Aiyuk is "close to being cleared" for a return. The receiver's 21-day practice window hasn't been opened yet, but the 49ers remain hopeful that he'll get back on the field in the near future. San Francisco's receiving corps could use the help as Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall have been underwhelming, combining for 53 catches, 705 yards, and three touchdowns while managing their respective injuries. Aiyuk could become an instant WR2 or WR3 in fantasy football upon his return, but an exact timetable for his activation remains unclear. This isn't the only news story we've seen about Aiyuk this week, though. A few days ago, Dianna Russini and Michael Silver of The Athletic reported that Aiyuk and the Niners were headed for a "stunning split" after the team voided his 2026 guarantees for a failure to meet contractual obligations, creating a clear path to his release next offseason. While Russini and Silver wrote that Aiyuk has likely played his final game for the 49ers, Garafolo's report seems to clarify that he'll have a good chance to get back on the field in 2025 before the team makes a decision on his future during the offseason.

Tuesday, November 25, 3:39 PM

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that wide receiver Rashod Bateman (ankle) was a full participant in practice on Tuesday, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. It puts Bateman on track to play on Thursday against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving Day after he missed the last two games with an ankle sprain. The 25-year-old's return in Week 13 would make veteran DeAndre Hopkins less attractive as a flex play in deeper fantasy leagues in a great matchup against Cincy's soft pass defense. Bateman would be returning to an excellent matchup if he's active on Thursday, but he will still be hard to trust in a Ravens offense that has not been clicking. The Ravens have the fourth-fewest passing yards per game (176.6), and Bateman has not been trustworthy for fantasy managers with a 16-194-2 line in nine games. He's averaging a career-low 21.6 yards per game.