Week 8 at Seattle Seahawks
George Kittle had a quiet day against the Patriots last week, catching a modest five balls for 55 yards. Kittle has at least five targets in every game he’s played this year though, and he remains an elite fantasy option every week. He’s averaging nine targets per game and is the primary cog for the 49ers’ passing offense.
This week, Kittle faces a Seahawks defense that ranks 11th in aFPA to opposing tight ends. Kittle is a great start regardless of matchup, considering the offense pretty much runs through him. Expect another busy day for him, as we have him ranked as an elite fantasy option once again. Start him.
Week 7 at New England Patriots
George Kittle had a great game against the Rams last week, catching seven of the 10 balls thrown his way for 109 yards and a touchdown. It was his second touchdown in only four games this year, and he’s now averaging 9.5 targets per game. That’s with all the 49ers’ weapons on hand as well, proving Kittle’s role as the primary target is secure without question.
This week, Kittle faces a Patriots defense that ranks first in the league in aFPA to opposing tight ends, but he’s a must-start every week, regardless of matchup. The Patriots have held tight ends in check, but they did allow three catches and 70 yards to Travis Kelce back in Week 4. Expect at least similar production from Kittle. Start him.
Week 6 vs. Los Angeles Rams
George Kittle had four catches for 44 yards last week against the Dolphins after a huge game against the Eagles in Week 4. Kittle was tied for the lead in targets with eight, and he remains the best option in the 49ers’ passing game. The only real drawback to Kittle at this point is the poor quarterback play thus far this season. Jimmy Garoppolo doesn’t look healthy and C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens have both looked average at best. Still, the target share should be enough to keep Kittle at the top of the TE ranks.
This week, Kittle faces a Rams defense that ranks first overall against wide receivers, but 19th in aFPA to opposing tight ends. Expect the 49ers to target Kittle early and often, and for him to continue to be the elite fantasy option he’s been. Start him in all leagues, whenever he’s healthy, regardless of matchup.
Week 5 vs. Miami Dolphins
George Kittle came back from injury with a bang last week, catching all 15 balls thrown his way for 183 yards and a touchdown, reminding us all why he’s one of the elite players at his position. Kittle is the best option in the San Francisco passing game, and the offense should continue to go through him.
The Dolphins rank 10th in aFPA to opposing tight ends this year, but Kittle is such a stud and gets so many targets, he’s virtually matchup proof. Fantasy owners should never think about sitting a healthy Kittle, and we have him ranked within our top three this week.
Week 4 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
George Kittle has missed the past two games but is practicing and is supposed to start this week. He’s elite when he’s on the field and the 49ers sure need him with most of their top receiving options either out or questionable heading into this week.
Assuming he’s active, Kittle is a must-start, regardless of matchup. But it helps that he’s facing the Eagles, who rank 25th in aFPA to opposing tight ends so far this season. They held the Bengals’ backup tight ends in check last week, but gave up three touchdowns to Tyler Higbee in Week 2. Start Kittle as long as he’s active.
Week 2 at New York Jets
George Kittle was held to 44 yards on four receptions last week against the Cardinals, and he sprained his knee as well. Kittle hasn’t been ruled out for Week 2, which is a good sign for a team devoid of pass-catchers, with injuries to Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. If healthy, Kittle should continue to be the primary target in San Francisco, and a must start weekly.
This week, Kittle faces a Jets defense that looks like one of the worst in the league, with significant holes at every level. He should be active as long as he’s healthy, but there’s definitely concern about his status, so have a backup plan in place.
UPDATE: Kittle is out, so fantasy owners should use their fallback option.
Week 1 vs. Arizona Cardinals
George Kittle was stellar last season with 85 catches for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns. You’d like to see him find the end zone a little more and he missed a couple games mid-season, but for the most part, he was as advertised a season ago and should be considered an elite option at the position heading into 2020.
This week, Kittle has a great matchup against the Cardinals, who were dead last in aFPA to opposing tight ends last season. He had six catches for 79 yards and a touchdown the last time these two teams met, and similar numbers are well within reach for him in Week 1. Start him in all league formats.
Fantasy Upside
George Kittle has led the 49ers in receiving yards the past two seasons. His 1,377 yards in 2018 set an NFL single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end. 2020 marks the final season of his four-year rookie contract, and his next deal is expected to make him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL, and the Athletic reports it could "approach" terms of the top receivers in the league. They're most likely right. And fantasy owners can expect to pay up just like the Niners. Per NFL.com, Kittle missed two games in 2019, but he still tied Travis Kelce for the most fantasy points scored per game (15.9). He finished second in double-digit performances (11) and only Kelce had more games with 20-plus point games. NextGen Stats show that Kittle led the NFL in receiving yards per route run in 2019 with 3.3 (among those who ran a minimum of 100 routes). And there's no reason to believe that's going to change.
Fantasy Downside
Unless the contract becomes an issue. Nobody is talking holdout, but NFL Network's Mike Silver reported on Jul. 31 that the two sides are far apart. Could it become contentious? That's worth watching -- even if it's not worth dialing back on Kittle come draft day.
2020 Bottom Line
Here's why it's not worth dialing back: According to FantasyPros, Kittle, who failed to produce top-20 numbers in just one game, compiled a 79.4 percent catch-rate in 2019, the third highest mark of all-time among tight ends who've seen at least 50 targets. But CBSSports.com offers this to seal the deal: "The 15.2 PPR Fantasy points per game [Kittle] averaged was on par with Allen Robinson's 15.5, and Robinson finished as a top-10 receiver." So, no. Given positional scarcity, TE2 is not too high (and Round 2 is not too early).
Week 17 at Seattle Seahawks
George Kittle had five catches for 79 yards and a touchdown last week against the Rams. It was good to see him find the end zone. Though he has only five on the season, he’s scored a touchdown in four of his last six games, providing optimism for owners who have hoped for him to turn around his lack of scoring. Kittle leads the team in virtually every major receiving category, however, making him a high-floor option each week.
The Seahawks have really turned around their tight end defense over the second half of the season and they now rank sixth in aFPA to the position this season. Kittle missed the last game against Seattle, but he remains a must-start regardless of matchup. The 49ers will be eager to win this game and Kittle should once again be a significant part of the offense. We have him ranked in the top-five this week and he should be active in all leagues.
Week 16 vs. Los Angeles Rams
George Kittle was a lone bright spot for the 49ers offense last week against the Falcons. He was targeted 17 times, catching 13 balls for 134 yards. He failed to find the end zone, but it was his fifth double-digit PPR performance in his last six games. He’s about as steady as you can get at the tight end position and should continue to be the primary focal point of the San Francisco offense.
This week, Kittle faces a Rams defense that ranks 15th in aFPA to opposing tight ends this year, so there should be some room to operate. Kittle caught all eight of his targets for 103 yards the last time these two teams faced each other, and he should once again be active in all fantasy leagues as an elite option.
