49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee in the Week 7 loss to the Chiefs, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "There may be other damage," Rapoport adds. Aiyuk will miss the rest of the 2024 season. And any "other damage" to his knee could impact his availability for the start of the 2025 campaign. We'll keep you updated on Aiyuk's diagnosis and timeline for return.
Aiyuk was in the midst of a disappointing 2024 season, averaging just 3.8 catches, 58.5 yards, and 0 TDs across six healthy games. But he was still a big part of this 49ers offense, accounting for 22.2% of the team's targets over those six games.
Aiyuk's absence dings QB Brock Purdy's fantasy value, especially until RB Christian McCaffrey is able to return.
But it's a boost to WR Deebo Samuel and TE George Kittle. Per Fantasy Life's Dwain McFarland, Samuel has drawn a whopping 38% target share when on the field without Aiyuk since 2021. He looks like an easy WR1 going forward. Kittle remains a top-5 TE.
Aiyuk's absence also frees up snaps for WRs Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. We'll see if Jennings is able to return this week from the hip injury that kept him out of the Chiefs game. We'd bet on him as the No. 2 WR when healthy. But Pearsall's role is worth monitoring closely going forward.
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