Beware The Red Flags With Brandon Aiyuk

I think we could all take a page from A.J. Brown's book (No, not that one).

If you recall, as rumors furiously swirled around his possible future with the Patriots last month, Brown didn't say a word. It wasn't until the whispers came to fruition after June 1 that we began to see clips about Brown's longstanding love for his new team in New England. But until the deal was done: Nothing.

Brandon Aiyuk is a different story.

Over the last few days, we have entered into cartoon-level territory. And the theatrics are getting out of hand.

Think of Aiyuk as Wile E. Coyote. The Road Runner he's trying to catch: A new team.

Remember: The 49ers finally signed Aiyuk to a four-year, $120M deal in 2024 after his holdout. But seven games into the season, Aiyuk tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus. That's when their relationship quickly deteriorated. Aiyuk stopped showing up for mandatory team meetings and scheduled treatment. The 49ers were forced to void his remaining contract guarantees, and now we've somehow gotten here:

June 21: Aiyuk posts a Father's Day video chanting "Go Commanders!"
June 24: Aiyuk threatens he will "sign with the Commanders tomorrow" if he is cut by the 49ers.
June 25: Aiyuk announces he is "back on tour" and tickets to see him can be found at … You guessed it: The Commanders’ website.

Like I said, cartoon-level antics.

We saw how things fared for Brown during his silent retreat from the media in May, and I suppose we’ll see how this strange story plays out for our very vocal WR in SF.

But I'm personally over it. I'm adding Aiyuk to my Do Not Draft list this season.

Never been a huge fan of cartoons.

SEE HOW THE OTHER 49ERS WIDE RECEIVERS RANK

It’s Time To Buy In On Fernando Mendoza

Just think, last summer, Fernando Mendoza was an afterthought in the college football landscape. A nondescript transfer to Indiana, all Mendoza did was lead the Hoosiers on an epic 16-0 run, completing 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards and 41 TDs on the way to winning the Heisman Trophy. He also threw in a gritty game-sealing TD run for the ages that locked down the first national championship for Indiana. All that before recently being the first pick in the NFL Draft of the Las Vegas Raiders. Everything seems to be going up for Mendoza and those who believed in him. A bright NFL future is in front of him.

UNest works the same way. You don't wait until your kid is 16 to start building their financial future. You start now, when time is your single greatest advantage. A tax-advantaged investment account that grows with your child, set up in under 10 minutes. The long game is always the smartest play, on the field and off it.

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Around the Watercooler

The latest fantasy and NFL gossip, news, memes and more from your favorite band of football nerds …

✈️ An offense ready for takeoff. We can only hope.

🙈 Worst case for this rookie. 2018 Baker Mayfield vibes.

💰 An RB got paid. Now it’s time for him to come through with a money season.

🪤 All the George Kittle injury-recovery hype real? Or is it a trap?

🙌 A big start was foiled by injury. Time for a full season of fantasy goodness.

👀 TE U week was fun. Time to look at the ranks.

🍎 Can the second time around be better than the first? Many are counting on it.

👣 Looking for another elite rookie TE season. Not a myth.

🤔 CMC or JT? Choose your first-round fighter.

🔮 Next season’s JSN? The blueprint is there.

Time To Buy In On K9 At His ADP?

We're always fighting the invisible 13th leaguemate: ADP.

It's an unfortunate truth. But if you learn her ways, you can use ADP to your advantage.

This week, I combed through our experts' season rankings and compared them to players' consensus ADP. I'm buying guys who are going later than our experts have them ranked:

Kenneth Walker | RB | KC

Consensus Ranking: RB6
Consensus ADP: 20.0 (RB9)

And I'm selling the guys who are being drafted earlier than our experts have them ranked, because they're going full rounds before they should be.

Jaxson Dart | QB | NYG

Consensus Ranking: QB11
Consensus ADP: 83.5 (QB7)

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WITH OMARION HAMPTON?

Ranking These Players Lower In Guillotine Leagues^TM

Speaking of rankings, a bad draft pick can make or break your season in Guillotine Leagues^TM.

That's why Kendall is issuing her warning. She's trying to save you from the CHOP, people!! Listen up!

Kendall's list highlights players who are dealing with some real red flags coming into 2026:

RB committees
QB concerns
Split WR rooms
Rookie Warnings

BONUS: Ian takes a look at players he’d rank higher in Guillotine Leagues.

FIND OUT WHO KENDALL IS DROPPING LOWER IN HER RANKINGS

Making Sense Of The Minicamp Madness

The news coming out of OTAs and minicamps has bordered on madness. We’re not sure which WR in Jacksonville to trust and RB committees are prevalent all over the league. Dwain McFarland is joined by Zain Dhanani of Fantasy Points to discuss the latest fantasy-relevant news. Subscribe to the Fantasy Football is Life YouTube channel so you can catch all the Talk Data To Me episodes and more!

BTJ, PARKER WASHINGTON OR DOOR NO. 3?

Published Jun 28, 2026, 7:00 AM ET