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The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers square off in Super Bowl 54 on Sunday, February 2nd. We’ll be breaking down everything you need to know to prepare your daily fantasy football lineups for the big game. We’re starting with a player-by-player preview for the skill position players on the two teams.
George Kittle is considered in some circles to be the NFL’s most complete tight end. He was selected as a first team All-Pro this year thanks to his contributions to the 49ers passing and running attacks. But how will he stack up against the Chiefs? The way his last two outings have gone could be cause for concern
DFS Super Bowl price
DraftKings Captain: $12,600
DraftKings Flex: $8,400
FanDuel: $11,500
DFS opponent position ranking
DraftKings: 28th
FanDuel: 24th
Season performance
Kittle exploded onto the national scene in 2018 when he notched 88 receptions for 1,377 yards and five scores. This year, he proved that season wasn’t a fluke. He hauled in 85 passes for 1,053 yards and five scores. His biggest play of the year was a fourth quarter catch against the New Orleans Saints in Week 14, which helped his team get in field position to kick a game-winning field goal. That was critical in the 49ers bid to secure the NFC West and the best record in the NFC. Kittle closed out the regular season strong but has struggled in the postseason.
Playoff performance
The 49ers have relied heavily on their ground attack to reach the Super Bowl, and that has hurt Kittle’s production. He has been targeted a total of six times in the Divisional Round and NFC title game to amass four receptions for 35 yards. San Francisco has dominated every team it’s faced in the postseason. Will the Chiefs be the team that can stop the 49ers’ running backs and force them to throw?
Matchup
Kansas City has been one of the worst defenses in the league when it comes to limiting the production of running backs, but did hold the Tennessee Titans’ Derrick Henry to 69 rushing yards in the AFC title game. However, the Chiefs have fielded a top-10 pass defense this season. They improved last year’s terrible secondary by adding Tyrann Mathieu. Kansas City hasn’t allowed any running back from an opposing team to reach the century mark in six games. If this trend continues, Kittle could become more of a priority for the 49ers offense.
DFS pricing and analysis
Only Raheem Mostert ($14,100) is priced higher than Kittle as a captain in the Showdown format. The other players above him are Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Damien Williams. Kittle is too risky to make a captain, but is worth a flex play.