Brandon Aiyuk Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk saw 8 targets in a Week 3 loss to Denver. That tied Deebo Samuel for the team lead. From 3 yards out, Aiyuk caught Jimmy Garoppolo’s only TD pass on a well-designed play where Deebo walled off the nearest defender. While George Kittle’s return adds volatility, Aiyuk remains an ascending talent with a high weekly ceiling. Don’t be surprised if he’s in the WR3 mix for Sunday’s divisional tilt with the Rams.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports 49ers QB Trey Lance suffered a "significant" right ankle injury in the Week 2 win over the Seahawks. Lance is expected to need surgery that will "likely" end his season. You can hang on to him on fantasy rosters until we get official confirmation that Lance's season is over, which figures to come tomorrow. San Francisco will turn back to QB Jimmy Garoppolo, which will mean a significant shift in the offense. The 49ers' pass rate will climb, and there will be more carries to go around since Garoppolo won't be taking many.

49ers TE George Kittle (groin) remained sidelined on Thursday. He's looking like a long shot to play vs. the Seahawks this weekend. That's bad news for QB Trey Lance but good news for Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk's volume.

Niners WR Deebo Samuel fulfilled the Deebo Samuel role in Sunday's opening loss to the Bears. He drew a team-high 8 targets but caught just 2 for 14 yards in rain-drenched conditions. Samuel added 52 yards and a TD on 8 carries, trailing only QB Trey Lance among 49ers in rushing yards. We certainly can't count on rushing scores every week for Samuel, but the target count to go with the rushing work is encouraging. That's what lacked in the 2nd half of last year, when he was getting more handoffs than passing looks. Brandon Aiyuk drew just 2 target against the Bears, catching both for 40 yards. WR Jauan Jennings posted team highs of 4 receptions and 62 yards on 6 targets.

Chicago has been hit with heavy rains this morning. It looks like the worst of it will be gone by kickoff of 49ers-Bears, but there will be lingering showers -- and a wet field. The forecast also calls for 15-20 mph winds. Less than ideal scoring conditions, although this looked like a low-scoring game anyways. Expect lots of running from both teams.

49ers TE George Kittle (groin) is officially inactive for today’s opener vs. the Bears. He suffered what’s been reported as a Grade 2 groin strain on Monday and didn’t practice the rest of the week. We’ll see if Kittle can make it back for Week 2. His absence is a significant loss for QB Trey Lance but frees up targets for WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.

49ers TE George Kittle (groin) is "not likely" to play vs. the Bears today, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Kittle didn't practice after injuring his groin on Monday. "Pushing it early doesn't make sense," Rapoport tweets. We'll see if Kittle can make it back for Week 2. His absence is a significant loss for QB Trey Lance but frees up targets for WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.

Pro Football Network's Aaron Wilson hears that 49ers TE George Kittle's groin injury is "serious enough" that he's "unlikely" to play against the Bears this weekend. A source tells Wilson that Kittle is dealing with a Grade 2 strain and that "it would be optimal for him to rest and rehab for a week or two." It certainly makes sense for the 49ers to hold Kittle out of a game vs. Chicago that they can likely win without him. We've removed Kittle from the Week 1 Rankings for now and will continue to keep you updated on his status. Kittle's absence would be good news for the targets outlooks of WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes: "The first three completions in Tuesday’s practice went to the same player: Brandon Aiyuk. In other words, the still-sizzling wide receiver finished camp the way he started, and he appears poised for a breakout third NFL season.” The buzz has followed Aiyuk for weeks and pushed his ADP up some. He still resides well into WR3 territory in most cases, though, a level that allows for plenty of upside room. Aiyuk's potential ascension could lower the ceiling for WR Deebo Samuel by siphoning target share in what we expect to be 1 of the league's most run-leaning offenses. We've been much more interested in Aiyuk than Samuel at their relative draft costs.

ESPN's Nick Wagoner says 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk "has been the team's most consistent offensive performer in camp." That's a particularly positive review for Aiyuk. Few question the former 1st-round pick's talent, but inconsistent performance dogged him last year -- especially early. Wagoner points out that Aiyuk had a similarly strong start to last year's camp but "tapered off" after a preseason hamstring injury. If Aiyuk can stay healthy and keep the effort up, he carries breakout difference-making potential from a fantasy football ADP that has hovered around WR40.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk has been the star of training camp the past few days. Teammates are impressed with his play. "Right now he’s having an outstanding camp," S Jimmie Ward said Wednesday. "B.A. has taken his game to another level. It’s crazy. I haven’t won a one-on-one rep with him yet." Aiyuk found himself in HC Kyle Shanahan's doghouse around this time a year ago and got off to a slow start. But he tallied a 47-730-4 line over his final 11 games, ranking 16th among WRs in PPR points. We still have some volume concerns here as Aiyuk fights for targets with Deebo Samuel and George Kittle in what figures to be a run-heavy offense. But Aiyuk is fairly priced at his current WR42 ADP.

49ers beat writer Jennifer Lee Chan calls WR Brandon Aiyuk a training camp “standout.” Aiyuk, who was in HC Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse for part of last year, appears on the right track in year 3. “I like what I see out of B.A.,” LB Fred Warner said. “He works super hard. He’s starting to really getting into that mindset that he’s the guy, and he’s capable. I’m just trying to get the best out of him. That’s also just putting pressure on me. I’m also trying ways to get the best out of myself.” Only 24, Aiyuk could enter the WR3 mix if Trey Lance takes a big step forward.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo has a torn UCL along with a fracture in his right thumb. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport calls the latter injury a "chipped bone" and adds that Garoppolo is "going to try to gut it out, somehow" vs. the Texans on Sunday. We'll see how this week goes, but for now, we're expecting QB Trey Lance to get the Week 17 start. Lance's rushing ability gives him fantasy upside -- but he'd be a downgrade for Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle.

49ers WR Deebo Samuel (groin) is out for Sunday's game vs. the Seahawks. He's expected to miss 1-2 weeks, so we'll see if he can make it back for next weekend's game in Cincinnati. WR Brandon Aiyuk and TE George Kittle should dominate Niners targets with Samuel out.

HC Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers expect WR Deebo Samuel to miss 1-2 weeks with the groin strain he suffered in Sunday's win over the vikings, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That leaves Brandon Aiyuk to lead the WR corps for the next game or 2, with Jauan Jennings and Trent Sherfield likely to each see more time. Samuel's absence can only help George Kittle's target outlook as well.

The forecast for tonight's Colts-49ers game calls for a 100% chance of rain with winds of 20-30 mph. That's ugly -- and certainly enough to impact the passing and kicking games. We'd try to avoid both of these passing games outside of 49ers WR Deebo Samuel and Colts WR Michael Pittman. You should also stay away from both Ks.

Addressing 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk's usage in the opener, insider Matt Maiocco wrote that Aiyuk "tailed off dramatically" in training camp and is "still learning how to be a pro." If that's the case, it went completely unreported. "Kyle Shanahan, clearly, favors some of the other WRs right now," Maiocco added. Aiyuk ended up finishing 2nd among 49ers WRs with 15 pass routes in Week 1 -- but that was just 1 more than Trent Sherfield and 4 more than Mohamed Sanu. Easily a top 2 talent on the roster, Aiyuk should eventually return to a full-time role. But he can't be trusted in fantasy lineups until we see it happen.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk finished without a single target in Sunday's opener vs. the Lions. We're still waiting for final snap counts but believe Aiyuk was 3rd or 4th among 49ers WRs in snaps. HC Kyle Shanahan said after the win that Aiyuk's late-August hamstring injury played a part in the reduced role today. We'll keep an eye on this situation, but Aiyuk will be impossible to trust in Week 2 fantasy lineups.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) put in a full week of practice and isn't listed on the final injury report. He should have his way with the Lions CBs on Sunday. But overall pass volume from San Francisco is a concern.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. It's confirmation that he's good to go for Sunday's plus matchup vs. the Lions.