San Francisco Chronicle's Eric Branch writes that the San Francisco 49ers and star tight end George Kittle have been in talks about a contract extension early this offseason. The 31-year-old is heading into the final year of his current deal in 2025 after a strong 2024 campaign in which he caught 78 passes on 94 targets for 1,106 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 15 starts. The production was all the more impressive after he revealed that he played through cracked ribs for much of the season, and he also missed two games with a hamstring ailment. Kittle's 1,106 receiving yards and eight touchdowns were both the second-best marks of his career. He was the TE1 overall in fantasy, with only Brock Bowers and Trey McBride besting him in total yardage. Regardless of whether he gets a contract extension from the Niners (he likely will), Kittle will be a top-five fantasy TE in drafts this fall.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (ankle, hamstring) was outproduced by his backup Eric Saubert during the team's 47-24 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona. Kittle caught two of three targets for 27 yards. The affable team captain was questionable and ultimately activated but had his snap count reduced in the meaningless game. Most likely, the 49ers organization was showing appreciation to Kittle by giving him the start since he has a $500,000 per-game roster bonus in his contract. Kittle finishes an excellent season as the overall half-PPR TE2, behind only Las Vegas Raiders rookie Brock Bowers and just ahead of Arizona's Trey McBride. He amassed 78 receptions, 1,106 yards, and eight touchdowns in 2024. He was hyper-efficient this year, setting career marks in catch percentage and yards per target. Kittle will enter his age-32 season in 2025 once again as a fantasy TE1 with San Francisco.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (ankle, hamstring) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Arizona Cardinals. He had been listed as questionable. Although the 49ers have already been eliminated from playoff contention, Kittle will be suiting up for the season finale. Quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow), however, won't play, which means Kittle will be catching passes from Joshua Dobbs. The 31-year-old ranks second among tight ends in fantasy points this season, and he enters the season finale as a high-end TE1.
According to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (ankle, hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals. Kittle opened the week as a non-participant but was able to upgrade to limited participation on Thursday and Friday. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status over the weekend, as he may end up being a game-time decision. Kittle saw his typical workload on Monday evening and logged 56 offensive snaps and was able to bring in all eight of his targets for 112 yards. Even though Joshua Dobbs is slated to get the start, fantasy managers should still view Kittle as a TE1 without Brock Purdy (elbow) under center. He will be facing an Arizona defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest PPR points to opposing tight ends this season.
George Kittle Upgrades To Full Practice On Thursday
After being limited in practice on Wednesday, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (ankle, hamstring) upgraded to a full practice session on Thursday. Kittle is battling through multiple injuries with one final game left this year, but his ability to practice in full on Thursday means he should be able to gain clearance to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals. Although the 31-year-old's fantasy value will take a hit if he plays this weekend with quarterback Joshua Dobbs getting the start over Brock Purdy (elbow), Kittle will still be in play as a TE1 for lineups as the top-scoring TE in half-PPR scoring this year thanks to catching 76 of his 91 targets for 1,079 yards and a league-high eight TDs. If Kittle plays, he figures to be Dobbs' favorite target, especially if receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (ribs, wrist) is held out.
According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (ankle/hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to their final game of the season against the Arizona Cardinals. With the 49ers out of playoff contention, Kittle may face an uphill battle to clear protocol in order to suit up. On Monday evening, during their loss to the Detroit Lions, Kittle brought in all eight of his targets for 112 yards. This was his second-straight contest tallying at least 100 yards and the fourth time this season he has accomplished this feat. Since Week 12, he has averaged a strong 15.2 PPR points per game. Even though Joshua Dobbs will be under center on Sunday, Kittle remains a must-start tight end if he is cleared to play.
George Kittle Surpasses 100 Yards In Week 17 Loss To Detroit
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle had another valuable fantasy day in a 40-34 home loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night. Kittle hauled in all eight of his targets for 112 receiving yards. For most Kittle managers, tonight caps off an excellent fantasy season. It marks his fourth 1,000-yard season and while he falls short of his 2022 career-high 11 touchdowns -- he's at eight with one game to play -- Kittle was incredibly dependable this season after a rollercoaster 2023 campaign. Excluding the two games missed due to injury, Kittle has come in below 10 half-PPR points just three times this season. He'll try to defend his 0.2-point lead as the season-long half-PPR TE1 over Las Vegas Raiders rookie phenom Brock Bowers when the 49ers travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals on Sunday in Week 18. He'll be a must-start for anyone still in redraft championships, but DFS players would be wise to consider the injury status of starting quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow).
George Kittle A Must-Start In Week 17 Versus Lions
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle will clash with the Detroit Lions at home on Monday Night Football. Last week in Miami, Kittle hauled in eight of nine targets for 106 yards. Kittle has been an excellent fantasy asset this season, no doubt occupying the TE slot for more than a few teams fighting for a championship this week. He is the leader at the position in half-PPR points per game (13.7), and just 3.9 points off the total pace set by Las Vegas Raiders rookie phenom Brock Bowers despite Kittle missing two games to injury. Detroit's pass defense ranks sixth-worst in terms of yardage but is the single stingiest defense to tight ends in fantasy at 6.4 points allowed per game. Regardless, Kittle has been too steadily productive all year to start worrying about matchups. Fire up Kittle as a top-2 option in Week 17.
George Kittle Goes Over 100 Receiving Yards In Week 16
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle delivered another solid performance during a Week 16 loss to the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday. The two-time first-team All-Pro took a co-team-leading nine targets to pace the 49ers in receptions (8) and receiving yards (106). Besides missing two games with injury, Kittle has been extremely reliable this season, surpassing half-PPR Yahoo projections in 10-of-13 starts. One would imagine that Kittle will be well-represented among fantasy teams vying for championships in Week 17 when the 49ers host the Detroit Lions. Kittle will be a no-brainer start in that one regardless of matchup but should be played with increased confidence as the Lions' prolific offense is likely to force the 49ers to make heavy use of their passing attack.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is in Miami this week for an interconference matchup against the Dolphins on Sunday. Last week at home versus the Rams on Thursday Night Football the 49ers offense was anemic overall, but Kittle pulled in four of seven targets for a team-leading 61 yards. While Miami's pass defense has been very stingy to fantasy quarterbacks and receivers, it has allowed its fair share of tight end points, representing the median of the league. As the fantasy season winds down, Kittle managers playing for a shot at the championship this week owe him his props as he leads the NFL in half-PPR points per game at the tight end spot (13.7), and is just 3.1 behind leader Brock Bowers in total points. Kittle is a must-start top-3 option in Week 16.
George Kittle
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49ers
