San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is looking to break out in 2022 with Trey Lance under center. Will Aiyuk produce enough to be on your fantasy football roster, and what is his current ADP in fantasy drafts?
Brandon Aiyuk ADP | Is he worth his current price in fantasy drafts?
Aiyuk’s current ADP is 91st overall as the 37th wide receiver selected in fantasy drafts. This means he’s being taken in the seventh round of standard leagues. Other players drafted in his range include Drake London and DeVonta Smith.
The third-year receiver has enjoyed two solid campaigns thus far, improving his yards per reception and catch rate each season. As Lance takes over the offense for Jimmy Garoppolo, fantasy managers are hoping Aiyuk continues to thrive with the young passer. Aiyuk has won over many headlines this preseason for his chemistry with Lance.
In the three games Lance played significant snaps last year, Aiyuk caught seven passes for 142 yards. This has been overblown a bit, though, as George Kittle wasn’t 100% healthy for each of those games and Deebo Samuel still dominated the target share.
Nevertheless, Aiyuk is still a quality fantasy option, even if that specific talking point is misguided. His ADP has risen considerably over the last two months. He’s now appropriately rated with his peers, and his range is a good value for his likely output.
Aiyuk’s projected fantasy value in 2022
There are only a handful of receivers with starting potential available this late in drafts. Aiyuk checks a lot of the boxes needed for a breakout campaign. He could prove to be a major steal if he sees a slight increase in yards to go over 1,000 total and touchdowns.
How Lance performs in his first full season is the biggest question mark around Aiyuk. Lance isn’t particularly accurate or consistent in reading defenses yet. Because of this, I think Samuel will continue to be his favorite target, followed by Kittle. It’s very possible, if not likely, that Aiyuk is clearly third in the offense once more.
Taking Aiyuk is a smart gamble, though. At worst, he’s a solid WR4 or decent WR3 on a team with three good backs who can play each week. It’s hard to do significantly better when drafting around pick 100.
