Brandon Aiyuk Fantasy Outlook Points to Underwhelming Rookie Campaign

When the San Francisco 49ers traded up for a receiver, few analysts projected that they were targeting Arizona State's Brandon Aiyuk. In hindsight, though, the move makes a ton of sense. The 49ers clearly have a type, emphasizing receivers who excel after the catch.

Last season, George Kittle led all tight ends and wide receivers with 602 yards after the catch (YAC). Deebo Samuel's 473 YAC was good for fifth-best among WRs. Aiyuk, meanwhile, averaged a ridiculous 10.9 YAC last season, so he should fit right in to Kyle Shanahan's offense.

While the fit could create some value, Aiyuk will be tough to trust in fantasy next season, as he just might not see enough volume to be a reliable fantasy option.

Brandon Aiyuk Fantasy Outlook

At best, it looks like Aiyuk will be No. 3 option in San Francisco's passing game behind Kittle and Samuel.

Shanahan also has a notoriously run-heavy offense. Last season, the 49ers had the second-most rushing attempts (498) and fourth-fewest passing attempts (478) in the NFL. Even if San Francisco is one of the NFL's best offenses again, playing behind two more-established options on a run-centric offense won't create much value from a fantasy perspective.

He'll likely have some blow-up games thanks to explosive athleticism, but it'll be difficult to predict when those are coming. He's an excellent real-life fit in San Francisco but concerns about his volume suggest he's best-viewed as a high-upside WR4 in fantasy. Aiyuk is the WR7 in our dynasty rookie rankings.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.