The 49ers are one of the league’s best teams in the wide receiver position, and Aiyuk has been a vital piece to their offense. In Week 14 against the Bengals, he had six catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. Aiyuk had another impressive performance in Week 18 against the Rams, hauling in 107 yards. During the NFC Wild Card Round, Aiyuk added five catches for 66 yards in the Niners’ 23-17 victory over the Cowboys. In the NFC Divisional Round, however, the 49ers quarterback only targeted Aiyuk once, a game in which the team was defeated by the five-time Super Bowl champions.
Week 14 against the Bengals
After allowing the Bengals to convert three first downs, the Steelers got a big third down with a 25-yard jump ball from Jauan Jennings. This play set up the winning drive when Jennings jumped over cornerback Mike Hilton. George Kittle also made big catches on third down, including a nine-yarder over the middle. Kittle had thirteen receptions for 151 yards. Jimmy G completed 27 of 41 passes for 296 yards and a 103.3 passer rating.
The 49ers re-inaugurated Aiyuk as a part of their offense in the second half of the season. After struggling in Week 3, the second-year wideout showed signs of life. Last week, he had 91 yards on five catches. This season, Aiyuk has a high floor and is worth considering as a flex option in PPR leagues.
While Aiyuk’s floor and ceiling are still relatively low, Aiyuk’s upside makes him a viable play. Outside of deeper leagues, he’s a risky play. In 14-team leagues, he could be a risky option. However, he’s an attractive option if you’re in need of a WR3 and are not willing to part with too much money.
The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 26-23 in overtime, thanks in part to a touchdown pass from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The quarterback was impressive, completing five passes, including two to tight end George Kittle, who has become the team’s offensive star. The Bengals, meanwhile, tied the game with one minute and 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
The Bengals’ defense was strong all day, and the Steelers forced three kicks after three downs. The third kick, a chip-shot field goal, came after Phillips’ dropped punt. The touchdown gave the Niners a 3-0 lead. However, the Steelers still had the final two downs. Aiyuk’s touchdown run made the Steelers look bad.
While Aiyuk’s numbers are a bit off, his performance has been very impressive during his first two seasons in the NFL. In his second season, Aiyuk finished with 56 receptions for 826 yards and five touchdowns. This is a huge improvement from his rookie season. His yards per catch improved from 12.5 to 14.8. In addition, Aiyuk’s 66.7% catching percentage makes him a solid fantasy option for the Steelers.
Despite the lopsided score, Aiyuk’s play has continued to improve. The Steelers will have more depth at wide receiver than they had in recent weeks. However, with George Kittle, Aiyuk is likely to remain a solid target share. And if he continues to play well, the Steelers could even extend his season. If he plays well against the Bengals, he’ll make a big impact in the passing game.
On fourth down, Aiyuk takes an easy slant route from the 49ers’ 25 to the Bengals’ 21. The Steelers will win the coin toss and have the ball on third down. But the Bengals can’t convert the field goal, as Aiyuk is unable to catch the ball on his first down. This leads to a Bengals punt.
Week 14 against the Texans
After a slow start, Brandon Aiyuk finally found his rhythm Sunday. He caught three of six targets for 55 yards and a 20% target share. It was his first game above 20 percent target share and his sixth straight game in which he has at least one catch. Prior to Sunday’s game, Aiyuk’s target share was 8%. It is a good sign that he is settling into a rhythm.
The wide receiver has improved his numbers considerably over the past month. In his last three games, he has caught 56 of 84 targets for 826 yards and five touchdowns. He has averaged 48.6 yards per game, and he has surpassed that mark a few times this season. If he can maintain this level of performance in the coming weeks, he is a WR3/flex with WR2 upside.
The 49ers’ backfield has been a walking infirmary for much of the season. While Elijah Mitchell has been excellent when on the field, he has missed two of the last three games with a shoulder injury and a broken finger. He is also a concussion risk, and other players are also injured. The 49ers may have to sign someone off the street to replace Aiyuk.
In addition to Aiyuk’s performance in Week 14, the 49ers’ wideouts had strong games. Aiyuk had five receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown, while tight end Trey Lance had two TDs and a rushing score. In addition, the wideout Justin Aiyuk led the team with four catches for 93 yards.
The Texans’ secondary has struggled to stop the pass, and Desmond King is their top cornerback. The Texans allowed 7.7 yards per pass and have given up nine 40-yard or more pass plays. They have allowed 36 explosive passes and have given up seven interceptions. With all this going on, DK Metcalf needs to come through in Week 14 to keep the Texans from stealing the game.
The 49ers lost last week to the Seahawks, but they have a good history traveling into the Eastern time zone. With Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle spreading the ball around, they will score points in the red zone. Joe Burrow will turn this game into a shootout, and the 49ers will come up with a few defensive plays to help themselves win the game.
In Week 13, the Texans used three wide receivers, but they had a shaky pass defense. While the Cardinals’ defense was shaky, a few rookies showed promise. Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett both finished with seven receptions each for 60 yards. The Texans’ secondary defenders struggled to cover these wide receivers, so these two wideouts could be key pieces in your fantasy football lineup.
The Texans are ranked third in the NFL in adjusted points allowed to quarterbacks. Their defense has been a problem for quarterbacks, but this week they are finally making some progress. While they have a bye week, they will need to improve their pass defense to make the playoffs. Thankfully, the Jets have a bye week in Week 14 to regroup and make a strong playoff run.
