Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Tutu Atwell

Monday, March 31, 3:16 PM

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the San Francisco 49ers are not expected to trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee). The sixth-year pro will be due a bonus of $22.85 million on Tuesday if he is on the team's roster. Aiyuk exploded in 2023 with a 75-1,342-7 line and signed a four-year $120 million contract extension as a reward. However, a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7 of 2024 cut his season short, though it's worth noting he wasn't overly productive before the injury. The 49ers have already flipped one star wideout this offseason, sending Deebo Samuel Sr. to the Washington Commanders, so it is in the team's best interest to hold Aiyuk despite the hit to their cap. There is still no timetable for the 27-year-old's return, but he recently got good reviews regarding his recovery. He'll compete with teammates George Kittle and Jauan Jennings for targets when he's healthy.

Wednesday, April 2, 9:37 PM

The Los Angeles Rams plan on giving wide receiver Tutu Atwell a bigger role in 2025. "I think the fans are accurate in that I haven't done a good enough job of utilizing him," head coach Sean McVay said. The Rams cut veteran Cooper Kupp this offseason and replaced him with All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, but the 25-year-old Atwell could be utilized more often in the passing attack after posting career-highs in catches (42) and receiving yards (562) in 17 regular-season games (five starts) in 2024. Most of his production came in Weeks 3-7 when both Kupp and Puka Nacua were out with injuries. Atwell has 99 career receptions for 1,343 yards and four touchdowns in 54 games (23 starts), averaging 13.6 yards per catch. Demarcus Robinson is also gone, so Atwell should start in most three-receiver sets alongside Nacua and Adams, giving him some sleeper potential in deeper fantasy leagues in 2025.