Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Tutu Atwell

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.

Monday, November 24, 1:01 PM

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said on Monday that the team will open the 21-day practice window for wide receiver Tutu Atwell (hamstring) this week, and "expect him to be ready to roll" in Week 13 against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, according to Adam Grosbard of the Los Angeles Daily News. The 26-year-old has not played since injuring his hamstring in Week 7, but he should be back this weekend to give the high-scoring Rams offense yet another weapon for MVP candidate Matthew Stafford. Atwell will help the Rams stretch the field, but for fantasy purposes, he won't be much more than a boom/bust deep threat in deeper leagues with limited volume. The former second-rounder has 41 yards per catch on the year, but he's caught just four of his nine targets for 164 yards and one touchdown in six games played.