Pat Fantasy Dog Pound advised letting Brandon Aiyuk slide well past ADP until we get hard news on his health. Pat noted that Aiyuk has been nothing more than "a cheer-leader on the sidelines" so far in camp, and local beat writers have already floated the possibility of the 49ers opening him on PUP. He reminded drafters that Kyle Shanahan often plays things close to the vest— "you can’t trust anything Shanahan says because he lies"— so waiting for official roster moves is essential. Pat is willing to scoop Aiyuk only if he tumbles multiple rounds, but otherwise prefers redirecting that Round-4/5 capital toward healthy upside receivers like Chris Godwin or George Pickens, betting that any missed September games from Aiyuk would torpedo the advance-rate on early-season heavy best-ball builds.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound warned drafters that Brandon Aiyuk’s summer leg issue could linger into camp and even land him on the regular-season PUP list. Pat pointed out that Aiyuk is still golfing in a full compression sleeve while other veterans—he specifically cited Stefon Diggs—have already shed all protection. That contrast has Pat worried Aiyuk will open camp doing side work instead of participating in team drills, a scenario that would trigger at least a four-week absence if the 49ers place him on reserve/PUP after final cuts. Pat is willing to grab Aiyuk only when he falls several picks past ADP in the final Puppy rooms, but he prefers redirecting that capital to receivers with cleaner medical outlooks or spending it on scarce mid-range tight ends. His bottom line: don’t assume the discount disappears once July reports arrive because the injury smoke has a real chance to intensify.

Hartitz said if Deebo Samuel’s lingering health issues extend into September, Brandon Aiyuk could command an ‘actual alpha’ target share for the first time in his career. He believes even 90 % of the 2023 version of Aiyuk—who ranked fourth in yards per route run (3.02) and seventh in fantasy points per target—would be enough to push him into the top-15 receivers. Hartitz mentioned that Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings will play roles, but neither has ever shown the after-catch explosiveness (5.7 YAC per reception) or separation skills (77th-percentile open-score per ESPN) of Aiyuk. If Samuel misses extended time, San Francisco’s 28-point implied weekly totals give Aiyuk double-digit touchdown upside at a late-third-round ADP that is currently baking in injury fear.

Davis Mattek noted that UnderDog opened Brandon Aiyuk’s Week 1 receiving line at a robust 65.5 yards despite lingering hamstring chatter and trade rumors. Mattek sees that number as a strong indication bookmakers expect Aiyuk to be fully healthy and retain the 25% first-read target share he owned down the stretch last year. Players with Week 1 props above 60 yards have historically finished top-15 in seasonal receiving yards, so Mattek has moved Aiyuk ahead of Tee Higgins and DK Metcalf in his Best Ball rankings and is grabbing the over on 65.5. He believes a contract-year explosion could push Aiyuk into the top-five fantasy wideouts by December.

Davis Mattek cautioned drafters against chasing Brandon Aiyuk’s discounted ADP. Aiyuk is still recovering from a November knee issue and has yet to run routes in OTAs, a delay Mattek blames partly on his contract stalemate. He argued Aiyuk’s profile is fragile: the 49ers have never funneled volume his way—his career-high is just 105 targets—and his fantasy value has always relied on extreme efficiency that cratered late last year. With Jauan Jennings out-snapping him down the stretch and rookie Ricky Pearsall flashing target-earning chops, Mattek sees real risk Aiyuk settles as the third option behind Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Entering his age-27 season without a clear path to volume, Aiyuk is, in Mattek’s words, “an icky click” even at a two-round discount.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound warned that Brandon Aiyuk is one of the worst clicks on the Underdog board right now. Pat expects Aiyuk to start camp on the PUP list and possibly miss the first four games, noting that beat reporters keep hinting he is "not ready to practice." Once drafters see the red PUP tag, Pat believes Aiyuk’s ADP will tumble out of the 60s and settle in the low-100s. He is passing on Aiyuk at current cost and plans to scoop shares later in the summer when the inevitable injury discount arrives.

Chris Raybon warned drafters that Brandon Aiyuk may begin 2024 on the Physically Unable to Perform list, forcing him to miss at least four games before any ramp-up period. Even once healthy, Aiyuk faces stiffer target competition than ever: Jauan Jennings earned a bigger role down the stretch, Ricky Pearsall arrived in Round 1, Demarcus Robinson signed on, and Christian McCaffrey plus George Kittle still command heavy volume. Raybon said the market is pricing Aiyuk as if he will seamlessly step back into a clear WR1 role, a scenario he considers optimistic given Kyle Shanahan’s spread-it-around tendencies. Until injury timelines clarify, Raybon is passing on Aiyuk at his current ADP and redirecting those picks toward receivers without such obvious early-season land mines.

Pat Kerrane said Brandon Aiyuk is a tough click at current ADP because the wideout is coming off a multi-ligament knee tear that will likely cost him games and could sap late-season explosiveness. Kerrane added that Aiyuk spent the summer in a contract standoff, which he suspects contributed to the injury by keeping the receiver out of football shape. He reminded listeners that Kyle Shanahan has already put Aiyuk in the doghouse once, so there is no guarantee of an every-down role the moment he returns. While Kerrane will keep some exposure in case the 49ers’ efficient offense delivers back-weighted spike weeks, he is mostly pivoting to healthier rookies or waiting for an ADP dip before re-buying, calling Aiyuk "a little overpriced for the uncertainty you’re signing up for" in Best Ball drafts.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound expects Brandon Aiyuk’s price to slide sharply over the next month. He said mock-draft chatter is glossing over the fact Aiyuk is still rehabbing the season-ending shoulder injury that knocked him out of the NFC title game and hinted the 49ers could place him on the preseason PUP list. Pat reminded listeners that Aiyuk’s 2023 hold-in led to a sluggish September (WR46 through four weeks) even before the injury, and believes a similarly slow ramp-up is inevitable if camp reps are limited. With negative news likely to dominate training-camp headlines—"still no full contact for Aiyuk"—Pat is letting the market come to him and instead scooping George Kittle or rookie Ricky Pearsall, both of whom he thinks get a usage bump if Aiyuk opens the year at less than 100 percent.

Tyler Knaeble predicted Brandon Aiyuk’s ADP will drift downward as training camp nears, anticipating news cycles that the 49ers wideout “is not ready to play” while his contract situation lingers. Knaeble advised taking a wait-and-see approach—only scooping Aiyuk if the market over-corrects—and instead grabbing rookie Ricky Pearsall, whose role would spike if Aiyuk stages a prolonged holdout. Until the contract standoff is resolved, Knaeble believes Aiyuk carries more downside than drafters are currently pricing in.

Billy Jones cautioned drafters against chasing Brandon Aiyuk at his current Round-6 price, predicting the 49ers wideout will open the season on the PUP list and miss four to six games. Jones expects that news—once confirmed—will push Aiyuk down to the Josh Downs tier, making any shares scooped today immediate red ink. While he acknowledged the end-of-season ceiling in a Kyle Shanahan offense, Billy argued that Best Ball drafters should accumulate points early and use the inevitable ADP slide to buy back in later drafts. Until concrete timelines improve, he prefers injury-free receivers like Tee Higgins in the same range and advises waiting for the discount rather than paying for eight weeks of zeros.

When Brandon Aiyuk slipped to the 8th, Coakley slammed the pick, noting reports that the 49ers expect him back for Week 1. In a cumulative format, missing only preseason time is no longer a red flag, so Coakley labeled Round-8 Aiyuk a clear arbitrage on better-known injured studs going four rounds earlier.

Coakley called Brandon Aiyuk an ‘absolute steal’ in Round 8, pointing out reports that the 49ers expect him back for Week 1 after his spring shoulder scope. Because his ADP still bakes in fear of missed time, drafters get a 1,000-yard receiver at a two-round discount. Coakley felt comfortable absorbing any lingering week-one uncertainty on a build that already featured Nico Collins, A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf, noting that cumulative formats cannot afford to pass on Aiyuk's mid-season spike-week ceiling when the actual time-lost risk appears minimal.