San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is one of the top players at his position in the NFL and will look to keep the fantasy football production going into the 2023 season. Here’s a look at what could go right, what could go wrong, and then what you should expect from Kittle.
2023 Fantasy Football: George Kittle Profile
Recap of 2022 season
Kittle didn’t have a spectacular season from a receptions and yardage perspective, but he shattered his own personal record for touchdowns in a season. His previous season high was six, but he exploded for 11 TDs in 2022, and fantasy managers would love to see that continue.
Updated 49ers outlook
San Francisco simply ran out of quarterbacks during the NFC Championship Game with injuries to four QBs from Week 1 till then. The 49ers appear likely to go with Brock Purdy to start the season with Trey Lance and Sam Darnold behind him.
Best-case scenario
The best-case scenario would be for Kittle to add to his yardage total while still keeping the touchdown numbers high. He has gone for more than 1,000 yards twice in his career and if he does that to go along with double-digit TDs, Kittle could finish the season as the top tight end in fantasy football.
Worst-case scenario
The worst-case scenario would be for touchdown numbers to come back down to earth and look more like we’ve seen throughout his career with the 49ers. TDs can be a little fluky for the tight end position, and that might be a problem if Kittle’s yardage continues to drop.
Prediction
Kittle is a borderline top-five tight end option this season. He has the talent and ability to take advantage of mismatches. With the quarterback situation somewhat figured out heading into the season compared to last year, an increase in yards should be expected, but it might be tough to expect the number of touchdowns to increase as that’s the outlier.