RADIO
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
Featured Promo: New Novig users get a $25 purchase match (50% discount up to $25) on your first Novig deposit, and a free month of RotoBaller's "Big-4" Premium Pass (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) which includes exclusive tools for Betting, Props, DFS and more! CLAIM IT NOW
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.
Who Should I Draft Tool
Not sure who to draft? Check out the Who Should I Draft tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to draft...
Who Should I Draft? Some common 2025 fantasy football draft decisions are regarding players like Joe Mixon. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Draft your optimal fantasy football teams for 2025. Our free Who Should I Draft? tool will help make your fantasy football draft decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to draft... all free! Make the right decisions.
2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Brandon Aiyuk. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football drafts.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Draft? button to see who the recommended draft picks are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Recent Improvements For Who Should I Draft? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Draft? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your 2025 fantasy football drafts. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their preseason fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the preseason. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Draft Searches. Curious to see some tough draft decisions for 2025? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Draft? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Draft
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Draft tool for 2025 drafts for Joe Mixon:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
