San Francisco 49ers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

The saga involving the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk may conclude in the coming days, as Mike Garafolo reports that the team hasn't pulled the trigger on a trade because a deal with Aiyuk that would keep him in San Francisco isn't far apart. It's also reported that Aiyuk would prefer to stay with the 49ers and has always preferred to stay with the 49ers, all things being equal. Aiyuk's status has made waves across the league over the past several days, but on the field, Aiyuk is one of the most efficient and productive wide receivers in the league. The 26-year-old Aiyuk would be a low-end fantasy WR1 upon a new deal with the 49ers, where he would retain his status as the top field stretcher in one of the NFL's best offenses.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers have a trade framework in place for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk if the Niners sign off on the deal. At the moment, San Francisco is waiting to hear back on a long-term contract offer out to Aiyuk that he hasn't yet accepted. On the other hand, Pittsburgh is reportedly in a good place on a contract for Aiyuk. This saga continues to drag and take various twists and turns, considering it sounded like a trade was close to being finalized last week involving either the Cleveland Browns or New England Patriots. If Aiyuk ends up staying put in San Fran after all, he'll remain a borderline WR1/2 fantasy option in a high-powered offense. While the 26-year-old star wideout would certainly see more opportunities as the Steelers' clear-cut alpha target in the event of a trade, Aiyuk would likely sacrifice efficiency in a run-first attack with uncertainty at quarterback.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson is emerging as the team's No. 3 option behind Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. The veteran pass-catcher entered camp in a competition with Tutu Atwell for the WR3 role, but Robinson has been "emerging" as the better option so far. This isn't necessarily a surprise given that Robinson edged out Atwell in production at times last year. The 29-year-old put together a solid 2023 campaign, catching 26 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns. His experience and expected volume could make him a worthwhile option in deeper fantasy leagues this year.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Trent Taylor led the team in all-purpose yards in Saturday night's 17-13 loss at the Tennessee Titans. Taylor, 30, hauled in three receptions on six targets for 48 yards and ripped off a 21-yard gain on his lone carry. The Louisiana Tech product was drafted by San Francisco in 2017 but spent two years in Cincinnati before signing with Chicago in 2023, where he worked almost exclusively returning punts. Taylor is currently competing with a large number of receivers to make the roster. It's unlikely that Taylor will become fantasy-relevant in 2024. However, if you squint, you might see Taylor as the best Deebo Samuel, Sr. impersonator available in the 49ers' receiver room should something happen to the real deal.

New York Jets running back Israel Abanikanda found the end zone in Saturday's preseason win over the visiting Washington Commanders in East Rutherford, but he only produced 17 yards on his six rushing attempts in the victory. He added an eight-yard reception. Abanikanda rushed up the middle in the fourth quarter, plunging his way into the end zone from two yards out to tie the game at 17 points apiece on Saturday afternoon against Washington. Around this time last year, Abanikanda lost a lot of handcuff upside to starter Breece Hall when the Jets signed veteran Dalvin Cook. This time around, however, the 21-year-old former Pittsburgh standout has a better chance of carving out a change-of-pace role in New York's backfield, but rookie fourth-rounder Braelon Allen poses a big obstacle after impressing on Saturday.