Would a change of scenery improve Brandon Aiyuk's fantasy value?

With Brandon Aiyuk about to enter the final year of his current contract, trade talks have increased with the 26-year-old wideout during the 2024 offseason. Having spent all four of his previous years in San Francisco, rumors have been all over the place with the receiver's demeanor difficult to interpret.

Many executives labeled Aiyuk as a name to keep an eye on during the summer given his contract situation and San Francisco's limited cap space to negotiate an extension. However, the former Arizona State receiver heightened his situation by repeatedly posting videos on social media with his collegiate teammate and recent no. 2 overall draft pick, Jayden Daniels.

The drama-filled circumstances reached a new level on July 7 when Aiyuk posted a picture of the Commanders' practice footage he presumably obtained from Daniels, further implying a potential trade possibly on the horizon.

Brandon Aiyuk 2023 fantasy production

In each year he has appeared in the NFL, Aiyuk has consistently improved his numbers. Despite missing one game in 2024, Aiyuk put up a career-high 1,342 receiving yards leading to his best fantasy season to date.

While his yard total was a career-high, Aiyuk's 75 receptions were three less than the 78 he recorded in 2023. His seven touchdowns were also one less than the eight he brought in the year before. For the first time in his career, Aiyuk did not receive a rush attempt as a trick-play runner all season.

Though he has been considered as the second option in the passing game on paper, Aiyuk has led the 49ers in receiving yards each of the last two seasons.

Per FantasyPros, Aiyuk finished as the WR10 in standard leagues and WR14 in both half and full-PPR leagues. In standard and half-PPR leagues, Aiyuk finished behind Deebo Samuel but ended the year one spot ahead of his teammate in full-PPR formats.

Hypothetical outlook in Washington

In his four years as a professional, Aiyuk has undeniably turned into an elite NFL receiver and a solid weekly fantasy starter. Having statistically improved each season, Aiyuk has shown all the signs of thriving as the potential top option on a team.

With San Francisco, Aiyuk began his career as the third option in the passing game behind established veterans George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. However, in his third season, Aiyuk broke through as the leading receiver, showing significantly more chemistry with Brock Purdy than Jimmy Garoppolo.

Should Aiyuk be traded to Washington, he would immediately have chemistry with rookie Jayden Daniels, whom he played with at Arizona State. Their history would give the former All-Pro an inside track to be the team's immediate alpha receiver, a role Terry McLaurin has occupied the past five seasons.

Changing teams would detach Aiyuk from the San Francisco system, which quickly developed into an elite offense in the real-life NFL but is a headache for fantasy managers to navigate given the abundance of assets on the team. Removing that factor could raise the fantasy ceiling of Aiyuk, depending on how well he adapts to the chaotic situation in Washington.

Even if Aiyuk immediately becomes the top target in Washington, there is no guarantee that the position warrants any fantasy relevance in 2024 with Daniels likely to struggle. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner has enough big-play potential to create highlights but recorded more than 17 touchdowns in just one of his five collegiate seasons.

Washington's offensive line will not be any help after allowing Sam Howell to get sacked a league-high 65 times in 2023. The unit received a big upgrade in Tyler Biadasz but has too many questions overall to be confident in, particularly with Daniels being sacked a combined 129 times in college.

In the unpredictable world of the NFL, Aiyuk could be traded to any team and not just Washington. Regardless, Aiyuk is best suited where he currently is, given that he is the no. 1 option of an offense that has evolved into a well-oiled machine.