San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk appeared on The Pivot on Friday. Of course, the topic of his contract with the team was addressed. NFL Media's Tom Pelissero reported a few days ago that both sides recently had a "good meeting." However, that may not be the case. "Throughout this process, there have been times when we're super close," Aiyuk said during the podcast interview. "There's days and times, like in the past month or so, where you could say we're pretty far apart." The wideout indicated that both sides were closer to an agreement when the negotiation process began. But recent deals for other wide receivers around the National Football League changed things. Aiyuk finished the 2023-24 campaign by amassing 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He's also demonstrated his durability, missing just one regular season game in the last three years. The 26-year-old is entering the final season of his current deal, so his value to the other 31 teams in the NFL will increase if he continues to produce. Nonetheless, Aiyuk's fantasy stock is at an all-time high heading into the 2024-25 campaign, even though he'll share a field with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel Sr., and George Kittle.

The San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had a "good meeting" on Monday and will continue to work toward a resolution amidst the 26-year-old's latest frustration, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. At this time, Aiyuk, who seeks a contract extension, has not made a formal trade request and the 49ers want him to be part of their team in 2024. The wide receiver is heading into the final year of his rookie contract and is due to hit free agency next offseason, barring an extension. He had a career year in 2023, catching 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. Even in an offense that also includes Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey, fantasy managers should treat Aiyuk as a strong WR2 option.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is meeting with the organization on Monday, according to Adam Schefter. The 26-year-old has been in trade rumors all offseason as he seeks a new contract following a career-best 1,342 receiving yards in 2023. Wideouts Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith, and Nico Collins all signed lucrative deals this offseason, and Aiyuk wants to be next in line. The 49ers and the 2020 first-round pick have reportedly been far apart in contract negotiations, and Aiyuk has hinted at the team "not wanting" him. This is a situation worth monitoring, and hopefully, a move will be made soon to bring clarity to the 49ers' pass-catching group in fantasy football.

The San Francisco 49ers announced on Friday that they signed first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to his four-year rookie deal. The 49ers now have all eight of their 2024 draft picks under contract before the start of training camp at the end of July. San Fran surprisingly selected Pearsall at the tail end of this year's NFL draft despite not training Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk leading up to the draft. While the 23-year-old is an intriguing option for fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper formats in head coach Kyle Shanahan's system, his playing time in his rookie year in 2024 is probably going to be limited as long as Samuel and Aiyuk stay healthy. The Florida alum would immediately become fantasy relevant in redraft leagues if Samuel or Aiyuk are injured or traded this season.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle was rehabbing a fractured rib, issues with his shoulder and toe, and a core-muscle injury that required surgery this offseason. As a result, Kittle revealed that he lost almost 30 pounds after the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, a significant blow to his typical 250-pound frame. "I couldn't lift," Kittle explained. "I couldn't do any upper body because of my shoulder and my rib, and I couldn't do lower [body] because of my core surgery. I didn't lift from the Super Bowl until like almost mid-March." However, Kittle remains confident going into the 2024 season and is recovered from surgery on his core. The 30-year-old led the NFL with 1,020 receiving yards in 16 regular-season games in 2023 and is still one of the high-end targets at the position in fantasy. However, with only 65 catches in an offense with many mouths to feed, his 2023 production may be his ceiling at this point in his career.