Brandon Aiyuk missed the entirety of the offseason, and the results of that move are there for all to see. Although he signed a four-year, $120 million extension, after three weeks of football, it's clear that he and Purdy are just not in sync. So where does that leave Aiyuk's value in fantasy football Week 4?
Brandon Aiyuk fantasy projection for Week 4
You'd be forgiven for panicking about Aiyuk's fantasy value after three weeks of football, but we're here to tell you it does get better.
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Week 3 was brutal for Aiyuk, who took a backseat as Jauan Jennings wreaked havoc against the Rams, going off for 175 yards on 11 receptions with three touchdowns to his name.
Aiyuk, meanwhile, had five catches on 10 targets for 48 yards and no touchdowns. That was technically an improvement from Week 2 but not a cause for optimism.
However, had Purdy not missed a wide-open Aiyuk for a 50-plus-yard touchdown against the Rams, his fantasy return would have been a lot higher.
Aiyuk's underlying numbers are also encouraging, as evidenced by the fact that he had a 46.9% separation against the Rams — the highest of any receiver so far this season. There's also the fact that the Rams afforded him the attention he deserves with George Kittle and Deebo Samuel both out with injury.
Should you drop Brandon Aiyuk?
The bottom line is this. Aiyuk is a top receiver on a high-powered offense. Brock Purdy has looked a little more comfortable slinging the ball downfield this year. With Christian McCaffrey still out injured for the foreseeable future, the Niners will have to lean on the passing game, and Aiyuk will thrive in the weeks to come.
If you have him on your roster, stick with him. If you don't, consider Aiyuk a top buy-low candidate for Week 4.
Sportskeeda's Who Should I Start analyzer is also high on Aiyuk this week, considering the Niners will go up against the Patriots.
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