Fantasy Football Impact of Brandon Aiyuk on San Francisco 49ers

Brandon Aiyuk's fantasy impact on the San Francisco 49ers may take time as the team has invested heavily at the position in recent years.

The 49ers couldn't quite muster enough offense to match the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. They hope to bolster their passing attack with the addition of Arizona State WR Brandon Aiyuk with the 25th overall pick of the first round in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Aiyuk needs to be coached up so it's unlikely he will be a contributor right away. The 49ers have thrown the kitchen sink at the WR position in recent years with guys like Dante Pettis, Jalen Hurd and Deebo Samuel. Thus far, Samuel is the one to make meaningful contributions. Aiyuk will be given time to improve, but even still, he'll have to outperform some younger guys who are also trying to fulfill their upside.

In redraft leagues, Aiyuk probably isn't worth a look in your draft. Dynasty owners can certainly grab him to hold onto but many of the other WRs taken in the first round seem to have a more clear and favorable path toward immediate contributions.

Here’s why Shawn Childs ranked Aiyuk as his No. 10 wide receiver:

Off the break, he’ll create an edge on slants while also showcasing the wheels to make plays in the deep passing game. His route running projects well while having open field ability. Aiyuk does need to get stronger to help his release when pressed at the line of scrimmage. I expect his best success to come over the first twenty yards past the line of scrimmage when going forward. Aiyuk needs to improve on his breaks to the sidelines and moving back to the quarterback. His speed (4.5 forty) isn’t elite for the wide receiver position.

San Francisco 49ers stats to know

• The 49ers led the NFL in rushes (449), yards (2,246), and TDs (22) by the running back position, but no RB gained over 775 yards or scored more than eight TDs.
• San Francisco finished second in the league in yards per pass attempt (8.43) and third in completion rate (69.2) at the QB position.
• Deebo Samuel had 15 rushes for 224 yards and two TDs over his final eight games, including the playoffs. Over the last 11 games, Samuel gained 926 combined yards with four TDs and 45 catches.
• Jimmy Garoppolo delivered 15 of his 27 passing TDs (55.6 percent) and 1,386 of his 3,978 passing yards (34.8 percent) over four games.
• The 49ers had the best defense in the league vs. RBs in the passing game (63/400/0).

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