Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel: Who Will Have More Receiving Yards?

Kyle Shanahan has one of the best offensive systems in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers are considered to be a plug-and-play type of offense, especially at the quarterback position. 

While preseason talk around the 49ers has been surrounded by who will be the starting quarterback, the wide receivers have a battle going on amongst themselves. Last season, Brandon Aiyuk emerged as a playmaker for San Francisco. He stepped up when Deebo Samuel, the breakout star from the year prior, had an inconsistent season. 

The two are great talents, but figuring out who will emerge as the top receiver will be a fun storyline to watch unravel this season. 

WynnBET is projecting that Aiyuk will take over as the first option, giving him +10000 odds to lead the league in receiving while Samuel’s odds sit at +15000. Both are behind George Kittle, who is +3500, but the wideout position shouldn’t be overlooked.

Aiyuk started in 11 games last season and caught 60 passes for 748 yards and five touchdowns. Samuel only started five games in 2020, finishing with 33 catches for 391 yards and one touchdown. Although Samuel has skill and has been in this system, I’m following the odds and taking Aiyuk to have a better season through the air. 

In Samuel’s best season, he only had 81 targets. Aiyuk already had 96 last year. Samuel has a higher catch percentage, but he is also used in a lot of plays closer to the line of scrimmage. When it comes to scrimmage yards, Samuel may be the choice. The 49ers use him as a receiver and a runner, diminishing his value as a pass-catcher. 

Aiyuk, on the other hand, is mainly a pass-catcher and will have his number of targets reflect that. He missed a quarter of the season last year and had a great rookie year. With a full season and a healthy roster, expect Aiyuk to take the leap forward.

Will Aiyuk have a better season than Samuel? Download the WynnBET app and make your pick today.