Who Should I Start? DeAndre Hopkins or Brandon Aiyuk

Tuesday, August 19, 3:32 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (knee) returned to training camp practice on Tuesday, according to Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Banner. Hopkins was held out of practice as a precaution on Monday and will return to the team's first padded action since the second preseason game. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Baltimore hold Nuk out of the preseason finale on Saturday against the Washington Commanders, but the 33-year-old should be ready to roll for the Week 1 regular-season clash on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Buffalo Bills. The former first-rounder (27th overall) in 2013 by the Houston Texans out of Clemson is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, but he had only 56 grabs for 610 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games (eight starts) with the Titans and Chiefs a year ago. In a run-first offense as likely the fourth target for QB Lamar Jackson, Hopkins will be avoided in 12-team leagues.

Tuesday, August 26, 5:06 PM

The San Francisco 49ers officially placed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list to begin the 2025 season, which means he will miss at least the first four contests. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already said that Aiyuk might be targeting a return around Week 6 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 27-year-old suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7 of last season, which is why he's not ready for the start of 2025. The former first-round wideout had been a major disappointment in fantasy before his season-ending knee injury, too, as he caught just 25 of 47 targets for 374 yards and didn't find the end zone once in seven games. It's understandable for fantasy managers to want to avoid him altogether this year, although he's still worth drafting in leagues with IR spots. With Aiyuk sidelined, Jauan Jennings (calf) and Ricky Pearsall should serve as the top wideouts in San Fran.