Brandon Aiyuk fantasy outlook: Should you draft 49ers WR in 2023?

Brandon Aiyuk has consistently improved his fantasy football output in each of his three NFL seasons, despite being the WR2 on his own team. He set personal-bests in several receiving categories last year, demonstrating that he may not have even reached his peak quite yet. If this trend continues in the 2023 NFL season, he can realistically emerge into a true fantasy football asset.

Not much has changed for Aiyuk's offensive situation for this upcoming season as compared to last year. The continuity, paired with his rising stock, could potentially be a recipe for another breakout season in fantasy football.

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Brandon Aiyuk's 2023 Fantasy Outlook

Brandon Aiyuk

Brandon Aiyuk has increased his yardage total every year he's been in the NFL, an excellent sign for any player's fantasy football outlook. This resulted in his most productive season ever last year, setting new career-highs in several receiving categories. This includes his 78 receptions on 114 targets for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns.

The rising star has also appeared in every game for the San Francisco 49ers in each of the past two seasons, demonstrating his durability and reliability on an offense filled with injury prone players.

Aiyuk has proven to be their most consistent contributor when it comes to playing time on a weekly basis. He also plays in an offensive system that has been extremely favorable for his skillset, especially as a YAC specialist.

Another encouraging sign for Aiyuk's fantasy football outlook for the upcoming 2023 NFL season is that he has been able to consistently produce and improve while serving as the 49ers' WR2.

He currently plays behind Deebo Samuel on their depth chart, but many signs indicate that Aiyuk could potentially be on his way to becoming their WR1. Samuel's output has dipped recently, so Aiyuk's rising production could earn him a larger role this year.

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Is Brandon Aiyuk a good pick in Football Football this year?

Brandon Aiyuk

It's almost always a wise decision to invest in ascending players in fantasy football drafts as their ceilings are generally higher than other comparable options. This is even more true for a player who enters a new season with as much continuity as possible from the year before because it eliminates most of the risk associated with a potential role change in a different offensive scheme.

Brandon Aiyuk is in an ideal situation for all of these scenarios ahead of the 2023 NFL season.

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The San Francisco 49ers are basically returning their entire offensive roster and coaching staff this season, providing an excellent environment for Aiyuk to potentially continue his trend of increasing his fantasy football output each season.

He could also significantly benefit if young quarterback Brock Purdy also takes another step forward this year. He's entering his second year with the 49ers, and the first season as a full-time starter, so he could realistically do exactly that.

All things considered, there is little legitimate reason to fade Brandon Aiyuk in upcoming 2023 fantasy football drafts. His recent history gives him a tremendous ceiling, while his floor is significantly higher than many other similar wide receivers. He could be a major steal considering his modest current ADP.

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Where should you draft Brandon Aiyuk this year?

Brandon Aiyuk

Brandon Aiyuk currently ranks as the WR29 and 71st overall player in upcoming 2023 fantasy football drafts, according to his recent ADP. This means he profiles as a high-end WR3 or back-end WR2 on most fantasy rosters. Managers targeting him during their fantasy drafts will most likely need to select him around the sixth round, depending upon the league format and scoring settings.

In his suggested role as a WR3 based on his current ADP, Aiyuk makes for an excellent selection. He has more than enough upside to emerge as a solid WR2, making him a sleeper candidate at his current implied value. He appears to have a much higher ceiling than many other wide receivers with similar ADP, while also showing a relatively safe floor.

Aiyuk is currently being drafted in the same range as other veteran wide receiver options such as Mike Evans and Tyler Lockett. While both of them have been extremely consistent fantasy football producers, their 2023 value appears to have a capped ceiling and dangerous floor.

Evans significantly downgraded at quarterback this year, while Lockett will see much more competition for targets than he did last season. While their outlook seems to be trending downwards, the best version of Aiyuk may be on the way again this year.