San Francisco 49ers

There's still no sign of San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) at the start of practice on Thursday. It's not overly surprising to hear McCaffrey is still sidelined by his strained calf, but it's still noteworthy he hasn't fully participated in practice since early August. There's no reason to believe that fantasy's consensus No. 1 overall pick is any kind of real danger of missing the regular-season opener next Monday night against the visiting New York Jets, but he'll need to return to practice at some point next week to restore a full level of confidence in that. With Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) undergoing season-ending surgery, it makes a lot of sense to stash Jordan Mason in all settings just to be safe until CMC is in the clear for Week 1.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is once again not on the practice field at the early open portion of Thursday's practice. The standoff between Aiyuk and the Niners rages on, and this situation is becoming at least moderately concerning for fantasy managers with Week 1 of the regular season arriving next week. Given that he hasn't practiced with the team at all during training camp this summer, Aiyuk appears to be at risk of being limited in the Sept. 9 regular-season opener against the New York Jets due to his lack of reps, even if he stays put in San Francisco. The 26-year-old wideout is healthy, however, so he shouldn't be falling too far down rankings for the final week of drafts, considering something just has to give one way or another for the best of both sides before the season begins. Aiyuk racked up a staggering 12.8 yards per target over 105 targets last year.

Updating a previous report, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (back, neck) was not seen during warmups before the team's practice on Wednesday. The 49ers expected Aiyuk to return to practice on Wednesday. "I know he's been cleared by our doctors. So I hope he's out there practicing today," Shanahan said. It's yet another strange turn in the Aiyuk saga as he continues to hold-in as he seeks a long-term contract extension with just over a week until Week 1 against the New York Jets on Monday night. The 26-year-old has apparently been dealing with a back/neck issue during training camp despite not practicing or playing at all during the preseason. The possibility of the Niners trading the former first-rounder seems remote at this point, but each passing day that Aiyuk isn't on the field should give fantasy managers pause as to whether they should draft him as a low-end WR1/high-end WR2.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch anticipates that hold-in wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (back, neck) will participate in practice on Wednesday. When asked about the consequences if Aiyuk doesn't show up, Lynch responded, "Then we'll deal with that." Head coach Kyle Shanahan also expressed hope that Aiyuk will practice, noting that doctors have cleared him after earlier reports of back and neck issues. Shanahan indicated that he would address potential penalties if necessary. The situation remains to be determined regarding whether Aiyuk is nearing a market-value extension or is willing to play out his rookie contract, which includes a $14.1 million salary. This ongoing uncertainty also opens up trade possibilities for the 49ers' leading receiver since 2022. The offseason's biggest fantasy storyline continues with no resolution in sight.

The San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk remain in a contract standoff with the 2024 regular season quickly approaching. The ongoing offseason saga between the Niners and Aiyuk somehow has not been resolved one way or another with a long-term contract extension or a trade, so we continue to wait. Aiyuk is on the 53-man roster, unlike left tackle Trent Williams, because he reported to training camp this summer. San Francisco will begin their normal practice schedule this week, but it's uncertain whether Aiyuk will actually return to the practice field for the first time this offseason. Either way, the two sides aren't any closer to an extension, and at this point, it seems pretty unlikely he'd be traded with the start of Week 1 just over a week away. Aiyuk's fantasy value remains the highest if he sticks in San Fran, but at this point fantasy managers have to worry about him starting off slow since he hasn't been working with the starting offense at all.