Brandon Aiyuk

"Nick WagonerAug 25, 2026, 04:50 PM ETCloseNick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In over a decade with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 and 2023 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga.Multiple AuthorsSANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Two days after San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York's arrest in Ohio, coach Kyle Shanahan and linebacker Fred Warner said Tuesday that York's situation has little to no impact on what the team is trying to accomplish on the field.Shanahan said he spoke with York, who pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and possession of a criminal tool after attempting to engage in prostitution, multiple times over the past couple of days. Shanahan called it a "very, very personal situation" but said York's situation doesn't change his perspective of how things will work moving forward."My view is, as the coach, does it have effect on us as a team?" Shanahan said. "From a football standpoint, it has no effect on us. I mean, as far as what we do day to day, what we talk about and [it] hasn't been mentioned in a meeting today, it doesn't have to do with what happens on the field."That's a sentiment Warner echoed when asked how the locker room absorbed the news about York on Monday and Tuesday. "We're all aware," Warner said. "It really wasn't a conversation being had in the locker room. Of course, yeah, you noticed it, but at the same time we're so hyper focused in this building of trying to prepare for week one. A lot of guys are on the bubble trying to make the team. So, we're just trying to get better as a football team and that's a personal situation, let it stay personal with him."According to Shanahan, York has been away from the team and back home in the Ohio area where he grew up for most of this training camp. York filed for divorce from his wife, Danielle, in May, according to documents filed in Santa Clara County (California) Superior Court.In York's absence, Shanahan said not much has been different. When York hired Shanahan and general manager John Lynch in 2017, he empowered them to make the football decisions. And while York knows before any big move the Niners make, Shanahan said that process has remained in place."It's the same as always," Shanahan said. "Jed has been as good as it gets since I've been here on letting the football people make football decisions. Jed always wants to be informed and a part of things, but Jed has been exactly what he said he would be on letting us make those decisions. And he always wants to know about them and stuff and whether he's here in the building or a text away or on a phone call, that doesn't change anything."While Shanahan said he didn't feel the need to address York's situation with the team in a meeting today, he did acknowledge the need to tell his team to be "smart" and "not make yourself a part" of the story when situations like York's arise.Asked whether the drama -- receiver Brandon Aiyuk's ongoing absence, Shanahan's car accident and now York's arrest -- that has surrounded the Niners this offseason have made this a more-difficult-than-usual summer, Warner demurred."If I'm being so honest about it, training camp is a beast in itself when it comes to just football and preparing yourself for what a 17-game season entails," Warner said. "Here in this building, it truly is all about football and trying to make sure we have the best product on the field for everybody, for ourselves and for everyone that's counting on us. That truly hasn't really been a thought in my mind or the rest of the team.""

"Today is the second-to-last day for the San Francisco 49ers to evaluate their roster. The battle for left guard remains up in the air.49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team isn’t expecting left guard Robert Jones to return until “around Australia.” The team is hopeful Jones can return to practice before they leave the States.That would mean Jones returns this upcoming weekend and can participate in the three sessions before the 49ers fly to Australia on Wednesday, September 2.Kurtis Rourke won’t play this Thursday as he recovers from a rib injury. Shanahan said Rourke’s injury wasn’t as bad as the one Jordan James suffered. Rourke had three broken ribs. He’ll still miss the preseason finale, but will return to practice next weekend, according to Shanahan.Romello Height has missed practice with an ankle injury. Shanahan didn’t expound on that.It’s “possible” Christian Kirk (calf strain) could begin the season on the Injured Reserve. Vederian Lowe (high-ankle sprain) is another candidate. Both players have been out for about a month now, as their injuries occurred at the end of July.They each signed as free agents this past offseason for what was effectively the veteran minimum. The 49ers were counting on each to be key depth pieces. The team boards a plane three days after their roster shrinks to 53. Kirk and Lowe have as much of a chance to play in Week 1 as Brandon Aiyuk. We’re unlikely to see them for the first month of the season.The Injured Reserve list is something the 49ers will lean into. They have eight designations to return during the regular season. You also don’t waste a roster spot on these players. They can afford to be patient with Kirk and Lowe, even if it’s for the first four games of the season — the minimum games a player must sit out if he begins the season on the Injured Reserve.Shanahan spoke about weighing the health of his roster ahead of roster cuts:“Most of our guys, besides Ricky and everything, are going to be all right. How good are they Week 1? How good are they going to be Week 2? Those are things that we’ve got to battle out.“But when you know they’re going to be healthy within those first four weeks, then it’s not as complicated. It’s frustrating, because you’d like ‘em to be there right away. But if they’re not going to be healthy after four weeks, then you can decide about PUP and things like that.”Speaking of the PUP, Mykel Williams might be a PUP candidate. This year’s rule change allows any player on the reserve/PUP list to begin their 21-day practice period after the team’s second regular-season game.The plan is to get Nick Bosa into practice next weekend. Shanahan said Bosa is doing well.George Kittle has been participating in the non-competitive periods of practice. He’s running routes on air, but it doesn’t sound like Kittle is involved in any of the heavy-contact portions of practice. That will change during the next block of practices after the 49ers’ mandatory three days off.Mike Evans did not practice today with a tight groin. Jacob Cowing also did not practice because of a groin injury. Shanahan is hoping to get Evans back at practice next week; he said, “Same with Mike,” when asked when Cowing would return.Week 1 is right around the corner for the 49ers. There’s little reason to risk your star players getting dinged up in practice with a division game in two weeks. That quick turnaround is why we’re not going to see many of the starters on Thursday:“I don’t think you’ll see many starters. We just don’t have enough time as we usually do, so I’ll be surprised if any of them are out there. There might be a couple. But it’ll be closer to how Week 1 looked.”Right guard Dominick Puni complained about having residual effects of a concussion after practice. Shanahan said Puni’s “most likely back in” the concussion protocol.Upton Stout didn’t practice because of a hip flexor. He’s also expected to return next week.According to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, 24 players didn’t practice in full on Tuesday. The 49ers are a week and a day away from getting on a plane for the longest trip they’ll take all season.Shanahan said the biggest challenges of this trip are having enough time and staying healthy. The 49ers are doing everything they can to control the injury variable ahead of Week 1."

"Welcome to Part II of my Red light/Green light series for 2026. The Green light: Players to target column dropped the other day and today I’m giving you some tough love – the players I’m trying to avoid. Draft season for redraft leagues is here at last, and if you decide to read anything to help you prep for your fantasy drafts, make it these two columns.Follow this link for my other preseason fantasy football content here at Big Blue View, including the Sleepers column: Fantasy Football Hub.Here’s what this column is all about. I’m not advocating that you cross off the players discussed. Rather, I’m trying to identify players whose current Average Draft Position (ADP) for redraft leagues is not offering good value. You’ll notice that my rankings on players listed in this column are mostly below market. This isn’t a “busts” column. It’s a listing of players who I think will underperform their current draft price, and who I probably won’t have much exposure to in redraft because I’ll pass on them at ADP. Would I draft some of them a round (or more) later than ADP? Sure, I would, although that varies by player.Sound fantasy drafting is all about value and getting good returns on your investment. Avoiding costly mistakes is part of the exercise. When you decide to click on Player X, you’re passing on others in the same range.NOTE: I’m mainly focusing on players going inside the first 130 picks (roughly, the first 11 rounds of a 12-team draft). Once you get past that point, overpaying doesn’t hurt you so much, because you’re taking players as depth and/or for potential upside if things break right, and you’re less likely to pass on difference-making players. For those who play in auction leagues, I’m looking to avoid the same players at average draft cost in that format, because I think they’ll be overpriced.ADPs listed are as of Aug. 24, 2026, are a consensus of several sites, and are for Half PPR scoring. Prior year rankings reflect Half PPR scoring, on a points per game basis, with Week 18 excluded. ADPs are a little all over the place right now – your mileage may vary.Red light players, 2026QuarterbackLamar Jackson (ADP 33, my rank 41), Drake Maye (ADP 51, my rank 57), and Joe Burrow (ADP 54, my rank 56) are ranked as quarterbacks 2, 3, and 4, and while they’re all studs, I’m not likely to pay up for them. Each could realistically challenge to be the QB1 when this season wraps up. I get that. Maye was a strong BUY and breakout candidate for me last season, at his much lower price. That was then, this is now. I’m not willing to burn a third rounder on Jackson, and the other two are fades for me in the first five rounds.Here’s why:This is about value, supply and demand, and whatever other Econ 101 terms I can throw at you. I’m tired of talking about how deep quarterback is this season. It’s like the ocean. The opportunity cost (another econ term, sorry) is just too great in the part of the draft where these guys are going, plus quarterbacks are the biggest names in the game and the top ones almost always end up getting pushed up and taken well ahead of ADP.Meanwhile, none of these three is a sure thing to finish as a Top-4 quarterback. Lamar ran a lot less last season, even when he was healthy, and he’s missed an average of three starts to injury across the last five seasons. While I love the A.J. Brown addition, Maye faces a tougher schedule this year plus his O-line is a question mark. Burrow has played 10 games or less in half of his six seasons.Pass, at cost. I like way too many quarterbacks with ADPs from late in Round 6 through Round 11 (see the Green Light column for more on that), and I’m happy to load up on backs and receivers while these three come off the board.Others: In 2-QB leagues, it’s easy to get two decent starters this year. Again, the depth of quality at the position is nuts and I’m good with most of the QBs ranked in the Top-24. Some of the lower-ranked QBs that I like less than others ranked near them are Patrick Mahomes (coming off a torn ACL which will surely limit his scrambling), Baker Mayfield, C.J. Stroud, Cam Ward, and Bryce Young.Running BackHere’s a flex for you: I CRUSHED my red light running backs last year: Ashton Jeanty (who had an ADP around the 1-2 turn), Breece Hall, Alvin Kamara, R.J. Harvey, and Joe Mixon. Only Harvey was a value, thanks to 12 touchdowns. But don’t worry, I’m running him back for good measure.The 2026 list:Christian McCaffrey (ADP 5, my rank 8) is the headliner here, and it’s a tough call. I have CMC ranked a little behind where he’s going, and if my pick is in the middle of Round 1, I’ll probably fade him for a safer player. I don’t like taking on that much risk with my first pick, and no player offers a wider range of outcomes. McCaffrey finished as the RB1 in two of the last three seasons, sandwiched around a lost year. If he’s on the field, he’s an absolute fantasy destroyer, because he’s so devastating in the passing game. But there are legit concerns, and they go way beyond the substation and the 49ers’ ridiculous injury history. He led the NFL in touches last year (we saw how that worked out for Saquon Barkley after his league-leading 2024 workload), he’s 30, his efficiency declined in each of the last three seasons, and it wasn’t long ago that we wondered if his calf issues were going to end his career. I realize that passing on him can be costly.De’Von Achane (ADP 14, my rank 18). Achane might be my favorite player in the NFL. He’s absolutely electric and so fun to watch, and I’m a Miami fan. So this one pains me. Concerns about the change in ecosystem and the overall state of the Dolphins make it hard for me to click him at the top of Round 2. He led all backs in receptions over the last two seasons. Malik Willis is a running quarterback with a big arm and I’m assuming the receptions will fall off, as will the overall efficiency of the offense without Mike McDaniel. I hate fading him, but Achane is a little too risky for me at ADP.I don’t love Jeremiyah Love for this season. His ADP is now 26 (my rank, 37) which reflects a drop due to the high ankle sprain but it’s still way too high for me. He’s a pass at ADP for many of the same reasons I faded Jeanty last season. I love the talent, but I just don’t see him getting enough work and scoring chances (on what’s going to be a truly terrible team) for him to deliver on an ADP that’s likely to creep back up into Round 2 as the season approaches. The Cardinals still have a big crowd at running back. They paid Tyler Allgeier a lot of money and surely plan to give him a good chunk of the work. Love was a draft pick for Arizona’s future. Let someone else deal with him and an injury that could linger into September.Breece Hall (ADP 34, my rank 39). I’ll fade Hall again. I’m not taking him in Round 3 because I’m not taking ANY Jets player that high. I know he’s talented as both a runner and pass-catcher, and their O-line could be very good. I just don’t trust them to score enough TDs with a washed-up Geno Smith running the show (for now, it could get worse) and Aaron Glenn on borrowed time. I also think he’ll share the work more than you’d like.Bhayshul Tuten (ADP 54, my rank 62) and TreVeyon Henderson (ADP 51, my rank 55) are back-to-back fades for me at cost. They’re both in major timeshares and that’s not what I want in Round 4 or 5. Sure, an injury could open a pathway to an RB1 finish but that’s hard to bank on. Rhamondre Stevenson is still going to get his and is trusted by the coaching staff in big situations, and I can’t help but worry that Chris Rodriguez, who played for Liam Coen for a season at Kentucky, is going to be a season-long annoyance for those hoping Tuten is this year’s massive breakout.Others: I’m OK with most running back values in the Round 6-10 range, other than the Steelers’ duo who I’m happy to avoid, and R.J. Harvey. I’m all-in on Jonah Coleman stealing his lunch and am looking to grab him late wherever I can.Wide Receiver:Another flex: I had great results with my red light calls at receiver last year too (Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison, Jr., D.J. Moore, Rashee Rice, Chris Olave (I’m allowed one whiff), and lower down, Cooper Kupp and Brandon Aiyuk. Maybe it’s time for a paywall…The 2026 wide receiver red light district:Jason Smith-Njigba (ADP 6, my rank 10). This isn’t an indictment of JSN. He’s an outstanding receiver who dominated last season. I expect another good year. But he’s only done that once, Klint Kubiak is gone, the offense has major questions at running back, and a little regression across the board for Seattle (and for JSN) won’t surprise me. I still have him at the back of the first round, but he’s going very early and as with CMC, there are players I prefer in the middle of Round 1.Drake London (ADP 21, my rank 26). The Atlanta quarterback situation scares me, and that’s the main reason for this ranking, as London has been an ascending talent the last two seasons. The more games Tua Tagovailoa plays, the more balls will be thrown near the line of scrimmage, and the more targets will be funneled to the backs and tight ends. And Michael Penix, Jr. isn’t exactly a savior. As with JSN, I’m not “out” on this talented player, I just think his cost is a little rich, in this case given what I think is a capped upside. I’d rather take George Pickens, A.J. Brown, or Nico Collins in the picks 18-25 range of the draft, and they’re all ranked behind London.Davante Adams (ADP 58, my ranking 66). I’ve always been a huge fan of Adams. But despite his WR7 finish last season, there are red flags, including that he’ll be 34 in December. Adams effectively functioned as the Rams’ goal-line back last season, and that boosted his fantasy prowess. “He scored 14 TDs!”, you scream. True, but he did that on just 60 catches for 789 yards (his lowest totals for both since his second season, 2015). Almost a quarter of his catches were TDs, and most of those came from inside the 5-yard line. Over the last two seasons, his advanced metrics have shown a decline, including just a 57% catch rate. Could Adams repeat his 2025 success? Sure. But at a fifth-round price tag, I’d rather take an ascending player than bank on an aging player and outlier numbers that are hard to sustain.Carnell Tate (ADP: 72, my rank: 85). I’m way behind consensus on Tate. I do think Cam Ward will be better this season, but there could be a lot of target competition and I just don’t see the rookie doing enough this season to warrant a pick near the 6/7 turn.Others: I’ll pass on Parker Washington (ADP 70), D.K. Metcalf (ADP: 82), and Makai Lemon (ADP: 101) at cost. All are a little pricey for me given the downside case for each. Washington is a hot name after what he did down the stretch last season. But it’s a very crowded offense and if I’m gambling a late sixth-round pick on a Jags’ receiver, it’s Brian Thomas, Jr., not Washington.Tight End: Tight end feels like a “great or late” position once again this year, as there’s a very big drop-off after the Top-2 (or three or four, depending on how you feel about Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren). And there are a lot of late sleepers. Here are two of the higher-priced tight ends I’m mostly passing on:Tucker Kraft (ADP 65, my rank 71) and Harold Fannin, Jr. (ADP 67, my rank 74). I like both players. This is more about draft strategy. At the point where these guys are going as the TE5 and TE6, there are a lot of intriguing running backs and receivers that I’d rather take, and I’ll fill in a tight end as there are a bunch I like who are going 4-5 rounds later. There are also two elite dual-threat quarterbacks I’d consider if they fall to the 60s (see the Green Light column). Put another way: You can get better players at other positions in the same range, while not sacrificing that much by taking lower-ranked tight ends a handful of rounds later. In Fannin’s case, I also worry about the Cleveland QBs and the addition of two highly drafted rookie wide receivers.That’s it for my players to target and avoid in 2026. I’ll have my final rankings up soon, so keep it here!"

"Jalen Hurts is the safest bet at the position: He has finished among the top eight quarterbacks in fantasy points per game in each of the past five seasons, a mark only Josh Allen can match over that span. Trevor Lawrence is priced below his production: He finished sixth among quarterbacks in fantasy points per game last season at 20.6, yet he is being drafted outside the top 10 at the position. Save on PFF+ for 5 Days Only: Get a full year of PFF+ for just $89.99 before the limited-time offer ends Aug. 25. Finding value is about more than identifying talented players. It requires pinpointing situations where talent, opportunity and cost align. These three quarterbacks check all three boxes and have the potential to dramatically outperform their current ADPs in 2026. ADP listed is a consensus from ESPN, Yahoo! and Sleeper. Last updated: Friday, Aug. 21 Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (ADP: 5.05) Hurts has finished among the top eight quarterbacks in fantasy points per game in each of the past five seasons, a feat only Josh Allen can match over that span. Lamar Jackson has done so four times and Patrick Mahomes three times, making Hurts the second-most consistent fantasy quarterback of the group behind Allen — and the youngest. All four quarterbacks had down seasons in 2025, but there are reasons to believe the others face more headwinds entering 2026. Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL and LCL, with his Week 1 availability uncertain, while Jackson has an injury history and an aging supporting cast. The concerns surrounding Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce in Kansas City are also well documented. That context makes Hurts one of the safer options at the position. Still, 2025 was below his usual standard. His 7.1 yards per attempt was a career low, while his 26.3 rushing yards per game represented a sharp decline from the previous season and was roughly half his career-high mark. He also scored fewer rushing touchdowns, offsetting that decline with more passing scores. That was positive for Philadelphia’s offense but less valuable for fantasy managers in leagues that award four points per passing touchdown. The Eagles ranked outside the top 10 in PFF offensive team grade for the first time since 2020 and finished below the league average in points scored. Philadelphia traded A.J. Brown and replaced him with Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown and tight end Eli Stowers. Even without Brown, the overall talent on the roster gives Philadelphia the potential to field a top-10 offense. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has also indicated that Hurts’ rushing ability will remain a central part of the scheme, giving him a strong chance to bounce back toward his typical fantasy range. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: 8.05) Lawrence spent four years as the Jaguars' starter to mixed results, with some stretches where he looked like a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback and others where he played like a backup. In 2022 and 2023, his fantasy production made him a high-end backup. But in 2024, his passing yards per game fell by more than 45 amid lower volume, and then an injury cut his season short. He became a top sleeper quarterback in 2025 after the Jaguars hired Liam Coen as head coach and drafted Travis Hunter with the second overall pick to pair with Brian Thomas Jr., who mostly excelled after Lawrence's injury. Lawrence finished fourth in fantasy points and sixth in points per game at 20.6, though that owed more to his connection with Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers and Brenton Strange than to Thomas and Hunter. Lawrence also set career highs in rushing attempts, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Some regression in Lawrence’s nine rushing touchdowns is reasonable to expect, but his overall outlook should be similar to last season. Lawrence will have all five of his receivers available at once, allowing for a rotation and no single player for a defense to key on. That should make Lawrence a top-10 option again, yet he is being drafted outside the top 10 since there are several quarterbacks to feel good about this season. That makes him a strong value at his current ADP. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (ADP: 9.04) Purdy has consistently outperformed his ADP in fantasy points per game, ranking among the top 12 quarterbacks in each of his three seasons as a starter. He has done so both with elite receiving options such as Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey on the field together and during stretches when many of his intended weapons were injured. Last season, his wide receiver corps consisted primarily of Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson and Kendrick Bourne. Despite that track record, Purdy is currently being drafted outside the top 12 quarterbacks. His play suggests he belongs comfortably inside that group. His 91.1 PFF offensive grade over the past three seasons ranks sixth among quarterbacks, trailing only Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford and Justin Herbert. San Francisco invested heavily in its receiving corps this offseason, adding veterans Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, drafting De'Zhaun Stribling in the second round and bringing Samuel back. That leaves Demarcus Robinson as the only receiver who played for San Francisco last season and is expected to remain part of the rotation. The biggest concern is how heavily the offense relies on aging veterans. McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk, Evans, Kittle and Trent Williams are all among the oldest starters at their respective positions. If one or more begins to decline, San Francisco will need its younger players to step up to prevent the offense from taking a significant step backward. Purdy is one of several undervalued quarterbacks available later in drafts, making it easier to wait at the position."

"align:start position:0% Boutte? Do they kick the tires on Brandon Aiyuk? Like that determines"