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Is Brandon Aiyuk out for the season? Read the latest Brandon Aiyuk fantasy football outlook and injury update for 2025. Kyle McCarthy breaks down whether Aiyuk should be drafted.
Assessing the fantasy value of players making their return after a major injury is always tricky. Sometimes it drives the cost down and creates a buying opportunity on an elite talent, while other times the uncertainty of the recovery makes the risk too high. In the case of 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk coming off a torn ACL, the cost is insignificant near the end of drafts for the star receiver.
Brandon Aiyuk gaining 1,342 receiving yards on just 105 targets in 2023 is batshit crazy. Only seven other dudes have cleared even 1,100 yards on that few of targets. pic.twitter.com/HyrB5fEhbQ
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) July 31, 2025
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Some fantasy managers remove these players from their board altogether to avoid the risk, while others embrace the uncertainty. Both strategies have merit, but it's an unpredictable game.
There is a good amount of uncertainty with Aiyuk in regard to his return to play. He tore it in Week 7 of last season against the Chiefs and is set to begin the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Is Brandon Aiyuk Out for the 2025 Season?
The word from head coach Kyle Shanahan is that Aiyuk should be ready to return around Week 6 of the 2025 season. The 27-year-old has been working his way back to action, and Week 6 is a good mark to set as he will be right near 11 months post-injury.
#49ers HC Kyle Shanahan says Brandon Aiyuk is on track to return around Week 6 from the ACL injury he suffered last year — which would be against the Buccaneers on October 12. pic.twitter.com/uanmyKv9OQ
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 11, 2025
Aiyuk will likely take a few weeks to get ramped up to a full allotment of routes, but should be all geared up for the second half of the season. He's looking extremely crisp and fluid in a few workout videos before the 49ers' preseason games, a positive indication that he is trending in the right direction.
Brandon Aiyuk 🔜 pic.twitter.com/JdwGEyiwhP
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) August 17, 2025
There's plenty of risk with a player like Aiyuk; however, he is an ideal candidate to stash on IR until around mid-season. We've seen his sort of high-end upside in his profile that is rare to find late in drafts or on the waiver wire.
Brandon Aiyuk 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
In 2023, Aiyuk finished as WR13 in PPG at 16.1 and was third in the league in YPRR with 3.31, behind only Tyreek Hill and Nico Collins. In fact, Aiyuk recorded a 96 overall rating in ESPN Analytics Receiver Scores in that season, which is the best single-season mark of any wide receiver since he was drafted in 2020.
That came during San Francisco’s historic offensive season, and while they expectedly regressed last year, the drop-off was mostly related to injuries. The offense will likely always be close to the top third in efficiency under Shanahan, as they still finished 11th in EPA/Play through the chaos.
The 49ers' offensive personnel will look a tad different in 2025 with Deebo Samuel Sr. traded to Washington, but plenty of competition for touches remains. Christian McCaffrey has been the centerpiece of the offense and is expected to return to full health. Tight end George Kittle is coming off a career-best season. Ricky Pearsall was a first-round pick last year and tabbed as a breakout player by many. And Jauan Jennings is currently injured/holding out and fresh off a breakout season.
When healthy, Aiyuk is the most talented receiver on the team. He's an extremely smooth mover in and out of breaks and creates separation effortlessly. But he's not based on a heavy amount of volume and is more reliant on efficiency. He is an incredibly efficient player, but the offense with multiple other good players is a factor.
Brandon Aiyukpic.twitter.com/Ez0N8Dr2XM
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) February 6, 2024
In the final few rounds of fantasy drafts, Aiyuk is one of the very last players in the window of receivers that are legitimately worth drafting. He can be immediately stashed on IR until his return in Week 6. That gives you over a month of information for the new season to evaluate things and see how the rest of your roster is shaping up.
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Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Draft tool for 2025 drafts for Joe Mixon:
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