Brandon Aiyuk injury timeline and fantasy football replacements: 49ers WR out long-term

Sadly, it's as bad as we suspected for Brandon Aiyuk after a gruesome knee injury forced him from the San Francisco 49ers' Week 7 game.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the MRI confirmed Aiyuk's suffered a season-ending torn ACL and MCL:

As Rapoport points out, there may be "other damage." 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan previously told reporters there's fear Aiyuk tore his ACL. Now, it's been revealed the severity of the matter may be worse and the standout pass-catcher is out for the remainder of the year. Regardless, this is a devastatingly brutal blow for San Fran and their title odds, considering they're among the favorites to win the NFC.

However, the 49ers aren't the only ones feeling the massive void left by the unfortunate Aiyuk news. Fantasy football managers who spent third- or fourth-round picks on him were already left wanting more, given his slow start to the 2024 campaign. He was the PPR WR55 on a points-per-game basis through the first seven weeks. Yet, suddenly, those who invested premium draft capital in the 26-year-old must find a way to replicate the mere threat of his presence.

Replacing someone of Aiyuk's caliber is no easy feat (in fantasy or real life). Nonetheless, that shouldn't deter managers from trying. With that in mind, these five receivers are available in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and are worth adding. Notably, they were all mentioned in FanSided's waiver wire power rankings column for Week 8.

5. Jalen Tolbert, Dallas Cowboys (20% rostered)

Excluding his Week 1 dud, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert has been the PPR WR30 entering Week 7's Monday Night Football doubleheader. Over the past two games, he's operated in a near-every-down role, logging at least an 89 percent offensive snap share rate in consecutive contests.

Tolbert's increased playing time coincides with Cowboys veteran wideout Brandin Cooks getting placed on IR. But make no mistake, the former was pushing for more reps either way and has capitalized on the opportunity. Seemingly, Dallas' offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer agrees:

Talk about a ringing endorsement. Schottenheimer and the Cowboys ostensibly feel good about what they have, which bodes well for the third-year pro moving forward. Pair this noteworthy coachspeak with Dallas' lacking depth at the receiver position behind All-Pro CeeDee Lamb, and he's a viable Aiyuk alternative.

4. Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns (48 percent rostered)

Fellow receiver Cedric Tillman and tight end David Njoku appeared to be the biggest beneficiaries of the Cleveland Browns trading Amari Cooper. But Jerry Jeudy's time could be coming sooner rather than later.

Jeudy drew at least six targets in Cleveland's first four games this season. While his usage has declined the following three weeks, Cooper no longer being in the picture should fix that. Moreover, there's reason(s) to believe the Browns offensive environment will improve following incumbent starting quarterback Deshaun Watson's season-ending ruptured Achilles.

Watson ranked dead last of the 31 qualified passers in the NFL in ESPN's Total Quarterback Rating (QBR), highlighting his struggles. Although we don't root for players to get hurt, his absence is a marked upgrade for the Browns aerial attack. Theoretically speaking, it can't get worse than it's been, which is a boon to Jeudy's value.

Furthermore, the Browns gave up multiple draft picks to acquire Jeudy via trade this offseason before signing him to a three-year, $52.5 million contract extension. Evidently, they're invested in the 2020 first-round selection, meaning you shouldn't be afraid to follow the money.

3. DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots (42% rostered)

Strangely, no New England Patriots receiver logged fewer snaps than DeMario "Pop" Douglas in Week 7 (20). But even more oddly, it was because he tried playing through an illness -- one that was never mentioned before the match.

Douglas reportedly "[woke] up sick" and attempted to fight through the issue by taking "anti-nausea medicine and an I.V." Be that as it may, the Patriots never listed him on the team's official injury report. Fantasy managers were blindsided and burned if they deployed the 23-year-old in their lineups. Still, they shouldn't fear going back to the well.

Not counting New England's latest loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Douglas was catching his stride. He posted double-digit PPR fantasy points in three of the four games, posting 13.1 points per game during that stretch (good for WR30). His production and usage were trending upward ahead of this forgetful outing, thanks to rookie quarterback Drake Maye taking over under center.

Having drawn nine targets in back-to-back games, Douglas had established himself as New England's No. 1 receiving option. Sure, the Pats offense doesn't offer much upside, but managers can do far worse sans Aiyuk.

2. Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers (44% rostered)

While the other Green Bay Packers receivers continue to garner attention, Romeo Doubs has quietly been leading the way in snaps. Finally, his role as a full-time player in this high-powered offense is yielding solid fantasy numbers.

Doubs has been a top-10 fantasy receiver across all formats over the past two games upon returning from a one-game suspension. With the drama presumably behind him, he's cementing his status as a primary target for Packers gunslinger Jordan Love. The two have an undeniable chemistry, specifically in the red zone.

When the Packers are inside their opponent's 20-yard line, Love doesn't hesitate to look Doubs' way. The former trusts the latter in high-value, scoring situations. With six targets in that area of the field (which ranks near the top of the league), the latter offers weekly touchdown upside.

1. Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers (30% rostered)

Jauan Jennings missed the Niners' Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs due to a hip issue. But when he's ready to go, the fourth-year veteran will assume a meaningful role on a top-tier San Francisco offense.

While Aiyuk was getting up to speed early in the season, Jennings was San Fran's de facto No. 2 receiver. The latter surely took advantage of the situation, demonstrated by his PPR WR8 ranking from Weeks 1-4.

Most of Jennings' production came from a monster 11-catch, 175-yard, three-touchdown performance in Week 3. So, we must tamper our expectations for him moving forward. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean we shouldn't actively pursue him in the wake of the Aiyuk update.

On a per-route basis, few wideouts have been more efficient than Jennings this year. Meanwhile, his usage will undoubtedly spike. Put two and two together, and you get an intriguing combination of upside and floor.

The presence of All-Pro tight end George Kittle and star "wide back" Deebo Samuel may make Jennings a more volatile, boom-or-bust option. Even so, he's worth prioritizing on the waiver wire if available.