Fantasy Football: Is Brandon Aiyuk Worth Drafting?

Nothing is worse in fantasy football than regretting drafting a certain player because you had high hopes for him.

That player for the 2020 fantasy season could be 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Aiyuk is a first-round talent (obviously), so his status may entice people to draft him with the hope that he can be a productive player. There is always hype surrounding rookies when they are taken in the first round because the presumption is that the player is an extraordinary talent.

However, not all players pan out nor do they hit the ground running. Some players need a little time before they can come into their own.

Take Deebo Samuel for instance. He didn't make an impact until the second half of the season, after the 49ers acquired Emmanuel Sanders.

Aiyuk may be a player you want to wait and see. Because of that, is Aiyuk worth drafting in fantasy football?

Had this year not turned into chaos with the COVID-19 pandemic, then he definitely should have garnered major consideration. But without OTAs and a normal training camp for him to get acclimated, I would strongly advise to not waste a roster spot on him.

It is going to take time for Aiyuk to start getting the hang of things. Of course, he could always ball out from the get-go, which would be a phenomenal sight to see. Surely the 49ers will be ecstatic for that to happen.

However, I doubt even they are expecting that from him when the season starts.

Losing out on all of those precious practice reps is going to hurt Aiyuk and every rookie across the league. Head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke about his concern regarding the lack of practice these players have saying, "It'll definitely have a huge affect on them."

I do not envision Aiyuk blossoming until late in the regular season. By that time, it will be the fantasy football playoffs for most people. So even applying the "draft-and-stash" method on Aiyuk is not ideal because you could be wasting a spot on the bench.

Stay away from Aiyuk in fantasy football.