Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Tetairoa McMillan

Thursday, December 18, 4:18 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) has been "extremely distant" from the team since suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 7 of the 2024 season, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. The 27-year-old has not played a game since that point. The 49ers voided guarantees in his contract for 2026 and placed him on the reserve/left squad list on Saturday, officially ending his 2025 season. All signs seem to indicate that Aiyuk and the 49ers are likely to go their separate ways this offseason. In his last fully healthy season in 2023, Aiyuk recorded 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns on 105 targets. He has a chance to get back to his superstar heights if he can get fully healthy and find the right team. However, his health and the way his current situation in San Francisco has unfolded may bring about question marks for dynasty league fantasy managers.

Monday, December 29, 11:15 AM

Tetairoa McMillan had the worst game of the season in Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks. The rookie WR was targeted four times but only caught one pass for five yards. Although he reportedly worked past an illness to play, he finished with 1.5 PPR points, marking the second time in the last three weeks he totaled less than 5.0 PPR points. In Week 18, the Panthers will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their NFC South rival, for the division title. The Buccaneers ranked sixth in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to WRs over the last four weeks leading up to Week 17. In Week 16 against Tampa Bay, McMillan had six receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. He totaled 19.3 PPR points in one of his best games of the year. Despite the seemingly unfavorable matchup, McMillan may bounce back against a Tampa Bay team he performed well against previously. Fantasy leaguers who are playing in Week 18 can consider starting McMillan as a WR3 or flex option in a winner-take-all game for Carolina.