The San Francisco 49ers prepare for Sunday night’s Week 17 showdown against the Chicago Bears with playoff positioning still within reach. George Kittle delivered a dominant performance on Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts, but an injury forced him out of the game in the third quarter. Will fantasy football managers have their elite tight end available for championship week?
George Kittle Injury Update
Kittle exited Monday night’s victory over the Colts with an ankle injury and did not return to the game. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Kittle is dealing with a mid-to-low ankle sprain, which is significantly better news than a high-ankle sprain that would have sidelined him for multiple weeks. Kittle himself indicated after the game that he believed he avoided a high-ankle sprain, and that assessment proved accurate.
The injury occurred early in the third quarter when Kittle believes he was brought down by a hip-drop tackle. He attempted to tape up the ankle and continue playing, but the ankle stiffened throughout the game and ultimately prevented him from returning. Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that Kittle would not practice on Wednesday as the team began Week 17 preparation.
Shanahan addressed Kittle’s status with the media, stating that the tight end “has a chance to play” against the Bears. That phrase carries significant weight when coming from Shanahan, as players described as having “a chance to play” historically struggle to suit up.
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall had “a chance to play” in Week 5 and wound up missing two months with a knee injury. Pearsall also had “a chance to play” last week and did not take the field.
This is not an encouraging start to the week for fantasy managers who rode Kittle to Monday night victories. However, Kittle is a veteran with a track record of playing through pain. Veterans can go DNP-DNP-LP and still suit up on game day, so Friday’s practice report will be critical.
The tight end finished Monday’s contest with seven catches for 115 yards and a touchdown before the injury ended his night. If Kittle can participate in at least limited fashion by Friday, there remains hope he can gut it out in a primetime matchup with playoff implications.
Kittle’s Fantasy Outlook
Kittle racked up a season high 111 air yards on Monday night in Indy (previous season high: 75) and has scored in consecutive games.
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The upside is evident in how they use him and the floor is supported by his efficiency. Kittle has caught at least 80% of his targets in eight of 10 games this season (19 catches on 22 targets over the past three games) and is averaging 1.2 red zone touches per game.
The receivers in San Francisco can have their moments, but this passing game is built to support Kittle and Christian McCaffrey: play him and enjoy your weekly edge over the teams that don’t have Trey McBride.
— PFSN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe
