The San Francisco 49ers enter the regular season finale with everything on the line. George Kittle missed last week’s matchup against the Chicago Bears after failing to practice all week with an ankle injury. Will fantasy football managers have their elite tight end back for the most important game of the season?
George Kittle Injury Update
Kittle suffered a mid-to-low ankle sprain in the third quarter of the 49ers’ Week 16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. 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 said Kittle had “a chance to play” against the Bears in Week 17, but the tight end did not practice at all during the week. Kittle was listed as questionable heading into Sunday night’s game against the Bears despite his complete absence from practice, but did not play.
The 49ers had planned for Kittle to test the ankle on Saturday to see if he could push through the injury, but the swelling had not subsided enough to make that realistic.
The swelling did not come down on Sunday either, which meant Kittle was realistically never going to play in that contest. However, Kittle told reporters after the game that he does anticipate returning after missing just one game.
The 49ers face massive playoff implications in Week 18. San Francisco will secure the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC with a victory over the Seahawks, which would give them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. A loss would drop them to the No. 5 seed and force them to play on the road in the wild card round. Given those stakes, the expectation should be that Kittle returns if he is physically capable of playing.
Kittle’s practice participation this week will be the key indicator of his availability. If he can get back on the field in at least a limited capacity by Wednesday or Thursday, he should be good to go for Saturday night’s showdown.
Update:Â Kittle got in a limited practice on Tuesday, putting him on track to play Saturday.
Kittle’s Fantasy Outlook
For fantasy managers still playing in Week 18, the 49ers have a true handcuff situation at tight end. Whenever Kittle does not play, Jake Tonges becomes a legitimate TE1 option. The backup tight end did it again last week with seven receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown against the Bears. As long as Kittle returns, though, he will resume his TE1 duties and be his usual elite self.
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Kittle is averaging 15.4 fantasy points per game despite missing six total games this season. He has caught at least 80% of his targets in eight of 10 games and remains one of the most consistent tight ends in fantasy football.
The San Francisco passing game is built to support Kittle and Christian McCaffrey above everyone else. Kittle racked up 115 yards and a touchdown in his last healthy game against the Colts before the injury occurred. If he is active on Saturday night, fantasy managers should feel confident locking him into their lineups for whatever is on the line this week.
