When is Brandon Aiyuk Coming Back? Fantasy Football Injury Update and Outlook

When is Brandon Aiyuk coming back for fantasy football. Is Aiyuk playing in Week 1? Read the injury update and fantasy football outlook for the 49ers wide receiver in 2025.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has emerged as one of the best playmakers in the NFL. He totaled over 1,000 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023, including a career-high 1,342 yards during the 2023 campaign. That strong season earned Aiyuk a massive four-year, $120 million deal one year later. 

Unfortunately, the 49ers wideout didn't deliver on the first year of his deal. He wasn't a factor in the passing game to start the season, and then tore his ACL/MCL in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs. That injury effectively ended his 2024 season. Given the long road to recovery, there are concerns about whether Aiyuk will be ready for Week 1. 

So, when can we expect Aiyuk to come back? Will he be ready by Week 1? Should fantasy managers select him in 2025 fantasy football drafts? Let's dive in and find out. 

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
• Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• NFL rookie fantasy football rankings
• Best ball fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Brandon Aiyuk Injury Update 

When Aiyuk injured his knee in that Week 7 contest against the Chiefs, it didn't look good. He caught a pass in the middle of the field and found himself sandwiched between two Kansas City defenders. As Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner came in low to tackle the 49ers wideout, he made direct contact with Aiyuk's knee. 

Brandon Aiyuk #49ers

Significant valgus (knee caving inward) here. This puts the ACL and MCL (amongst others) at risk. Hoping for the best pic.twitter.com/1HyyUboFs0

— Tom Christ, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT (@FantasyInjuryT) October 20, 2024

After undergoing additional tests, it was revealed that the 27-year-old suffered both a torn ACL and MCL on that play. Aiyuk would likely want to forget about his entire 2024 season. He held out in training camp looking for a new contract, and that holdout played a part in his subpar numbers to begin the year. 

The Arizona State product caught just 25 passes for 374 yards in his first seven games before tearing his ACL. It was an overall disappointing season for Aiyuk, considering he totaled over 50 yards just once in those seven contests and missed the final 11 games due to that knee injury. 

When is Brandon Aiyuk Coming Back?

Given the nature of torn ACLs/MCLs, Aiyuk faces an uphill battle to be ready by Week 1. These knee injuries usually take nine to 12 months to fully recover from, and the 49ers are not going to rush back their top pass-catcher. The expectation is that he will begin training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.  

The good news, though, is that Aiyuk seems to be in good spirits following that injury. He was present at San Francisco's mandatory minicamp in June and was seen coaching up his teammates from the sidelines. The 27-year-old has also looked sharp in workouts, which is a positive sign for his recovery. 

49ers general manager John Lynch said last month that the wideout is "doing a tremendous job coming back." Lynch then went on to say that "it's kind of incredible how well he's healing, and he's putting in the work." Those are all encouraging signs that Aiyuk should return to full health within the next few months. 

John Lynch on Brandon Aiyuk:

"Brandon Aiyuk is such a big part of who we are… We've had some great conversations and he's doing a tremendous job coming back from that injury… We're proud of him and he's an important part of this team."pic.twitter.com/VKeCu3Vrc7

— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) June 12, 2025

Still, fantasy managers shouldn't expect him back until October at the earliest. Aiyuk didn't undergo knee surgery until the middle of November last year, and this ACL/MCL recovery is a long one. We could see Week 5 through Week 8 being a potential return date for the 27-year-old. 

When New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne tore his ACL in Week 8 of the 2023 season, he missed the first few weeks of the next season while recovering from that ACL tear. He eventually returned in Week 5 of the 2024 campaign, and it took him some time to get back up to game speed. 

Therefore, there's a strong chance Aiyuk begins the season on injured reserve. He will likely miss the first four games, but he could return shortly after that. An October return seems likely for the five-year veteran. 

Brandon Aiyuk Fantasy Football Outlook 

With Aiyuk expected to miss the start of the 2025 season, his average draft position (ADP) should continue to fall in the coming weeks. He has a current 92.3 ADP on Sleeper, an 87 ADP on Underdog Fantasy, and a consensus 95 ADP across all platforms. As we get closer to the season, it wouldn't be shocking to see his ADP fall into the double-digit rounds. 

Not many fantasy managers like to target players who are already hurt coming into the season, and Aiyuk should miss the first couple of weeks. With that in mind, the 49ers playmaker is someone to avoid in 2025 fantasy football drafts. Even if his ADP drops slightly come August, it's too risky to take a wide receiver coming off a torn ACL/MCL. 

It usually takes players one full year to get back to full speed on the field, which means fantasy managers shouldn't expect much from Aiyuk during the 2025-26 season. He's going to have a limited training camp, and we all saw how that affected him last year. Aiyuk ranked 91st in dominator rating (10.7%), 63rd in route win rate (42.5%), and 54th in win rate versus man coverage (31.9%) among all wideouts in 2024. 

So, it wouldn't come as a surprise if Aiyuk disappoints again in fantasy. Mike Williams tore his ACL in 2023 and didn't produce much last year. Jameson Williams tore his ACL in his final college season in 2022 and was a non-factor in his rookie campaign the next year. Even Odell Beckham Jr. did nothing in his first year back from his first ACL tear in 2020. 

However, there have been a few instances of wide receivers returning from this injury and picking up right where they left off. The best example of this was Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin a few years ago. He tore his ACL in Week 15 of the 2021 season and totaled 104 catches for 1,023 yards and three touchdowns the next year in 2022. 

It is important to note that Aiyuk and Godwin are completely different players on the field. The 49ers wideout is more of the vertical, yards after the catch playmaker, while the Buccaneers wideout is more of the checkdown, short-yardage playmaker. That's why Aiyuk might struggle to be a reliable fantasy option in 2025, especially in the first half. 

On top of that, the 49ers could spread the ball around more than ever this year with Aiyuk working his way back. Jauan Jennings stepped up in San Francisco's wide receiver group last year, Ricky Pearsall is a popular breakout candidate this season, George Kittle should continue to be heavily involved, and Christian McCaffrey is finally healthy. 

What feels more likely:

1. Jauan Jennings is a one-year wonder who won't come close to those stats again, it was a fluke

2. Jauan Jennings finally had increased opportunity after being buried on the depth chart, and he shined

2 makes a lot more sense than 1

— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) July 2, 2025

That makes him a risky fantasy selection in the middle rounds. Even though Deebo Samuel Sr. left in the offseason, it's hard to fully trust Aiyuk in his first year back from that ACL tear. Both Jennings (97.3 ADP) and Pearsall (101.5 ADP) are better selections at this point in drafts. 

More Fantasy Football Analysis