George Kittle is coming off a great season that saw the 49ers make it all the way to the NFC Championship game. As they get started against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, Kittle will hope to help lead the team to another deep run in the postseason.
Fantasy Football analysis: 49ers TE George Kittle
Last season, Kittle ended up with a career-high 11 touchdowns through 15 games, catching 70 of 86 targets for 765 yards. It was a little strange to see his yard total drop by around 150 from the 2021 season, but he was a consistent contributor for fantasy managers throughout the season. He finished as the TE1 on two separate occasions, topping out at 30 fantasy points in Week 16 against the Commanders.
Start or sit in Week 1 PPR leagues?
Start George Kittle in PPR leagues in Week 1.
George Kittle is a top-10 tight end in the NFL, and unless you’ve got Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews in your lineup, Kittle will be a solid option for Week 1. He averaged 13.4 fantasy points per game in PPR leagues last season, and will still be a very viable option with Brock Purdy under center as long as he sees enough target volume.
Start or sit in Week 1 standard leagues?
Start George Kittle in standard leagues in Week 1.
Kittle is no doubt a fantastic pass catcher, and as long as Purdy still sends him a decent amount of targets, he should be posed to hit the ground running even if he’s splitting targets with Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and Deebo Samuel.
One thing to watch is his injury status. He missed last year’s season opener and it’s been reported that he was sidelined at practice on Monday and could be set to miss this year’s season opener as well. If he’s healthy, he should absolutely be started.
Player(s) you would start ahead of George Kittle
Kittle is ranked 78th in FLEX players, according to FantasyPros, but also comes in at TE6. If he’s healthy, you’ll be starting him, but some other good options around him in the FLEX rankings would be Michael Thomas, Dallas Goedert, and Raheem Mostert.