Who Should I Start? Darius Slayton or Brandon Aiyuk

Saturday, August 9, 1:07 PM

New York Giants wide receivers Malik Nabers (shoulder) and Darius Slayton (undisclosed) were not involved in pre-game warmups on Saturday and are not expected to suit up for the preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. It's a big chance for Jalin Hyatt to impress the coaches. Neither Nabers' or Slayton's injuries are serious, but the Giants will play it safe early in the preseason and hold them both out. In addition to a shoulder injury, the 22-year-old Nabers has also battled a toe injury since college, but it didn't slow him down at all in his rookie season in 2024, as he had a 109-1,204-7 line on 170 targets. Nabers' nagging injuries are worth watching closely, but as of now, there's no reason not to target him as a strong WR1 in fantasy drafts in 2025.

Monday, August 11, 5:05 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan hasn't thought about it much, but said that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) might return in Week 6. General manager John Lynch already said that he didn't think Aiyuk would be ready for Week 1 of the regular season in early September, but now it looks like the 27-year-old pass-catcher will be out much longer after tearing both his MCL and ACL in his right knee last October. Aiyuk is expected to begin the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which will require him to miss at least the first four games. He has not practiced with the team at all this year. Obviously, this is a big hit to Aiyuk's 2025 fantasy value. Aiyuk is stash-worthy in fantasy leagues that have designated Injured Reserve spots. In Aiyuk's absence, both Jauan Jennings (calf) and Ricky Pearsall stand to benefit as key members of the passing attack.