In Week 3, the San Francisco 49ers will face the Los Angeles Rams. Will 49ers tight end George Kittle play today? Here’s the latest on San Francisco’s star TE.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Start/Sit Analysis, Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
George Kittle’s Status for Week 3 vs. Rams
On Thursday and Friday, George Kittle did not practice for the 49ers due to a hamstring injury. Initially, San Francisco listed him as doubtful on Friday. However, on Saturday, he was officially ruled out for the Week 3 contest against the Los Angeles Rams.
The 49ers will now be without Kittle, running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles tendinitis), and wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf) in Sunday’s game.
It remains to be seen how long Kittle will be sidelined. In his absence, the 49ers will lean on backup tight ends Eric Saubert, Jake Tonges, and Brayden Willis.
Kittle’s Fantasy Outlook
Brandon Aiyuk should be the biggest beneficiary of Kittle, McCaffrey, and Samuel being sidelined.
This injury is unfortunate, as a healthy Kittle would have likely seen a ton of targets with Samuel out.
This season, he has caught 84.6% of his targets, showcasing efficiency that we haven’t seen him sustain with Brock Purdy under center in seasons past.
San Francisco’s reception hierarchy, 2024:
- Kittle + Samuel: 24
- All other 49ers: 23
Kittle played 91.4% of the snaps in San Francisco’s lone win this season, and if he returns to the lineup before Samuel, expect him to be fully unleashed as an offensive weapon.
A healthy Kittle would be locked into top-five status at the position until Samuel returns to action, with the thought being that we might finally get the consistency we’ve yearned for from him.
