San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle appears to be making progress in his recovery from an injury that has kept fantasy football managers waiting since Week 1. The veteran pass-catcher has been sidelined for over a month, leaving a significant void in both the 49ers offense and countless fantasy lineups.
With limited practice participation this week, there are growing signs that his return may be imminent. Fantasy managers who have been patiently holding onto the All-Pro tight end through this frustrating stretch may finally have reason for optimism.
George Kittle Injury Update
Kittle was eligible to return from the injured reserve in Week 6 after suffering a hamstring injury in the 49ers’ opening game. A strong start allowed the 49ers to give their veteran tight end one more week to completely heal instead of rushing him back to the field.
Kittle logged a limited practice on Wednesday, which suggests his practice window from the injured reserve has been opened. That is a great first step toward Kittle returning to the field.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Dan Fornek
Kittle Fantasy Outlook
The top of the TE board has been brutal this season. Brock Bowers has been banged up, Trey McBride’s QB missed Week 6, and we haven’t seen George Kittle since the opener.
The latter could be rectified this week, as there is cautious optimism that we get San Francisco’s former All-Pro back from the hamstring injury that he suffered after turning 13 routes into 12.5 PPR points in the Week 1 win in Seattle.
Outside of “bad injury vibes” for the 49ers, I can’t imagine a world in which you’re not jumping at the opportunity to reinsert him into your lineup the second he’s deemed active. He set career highs in fantasy points over expectation, red-zone target rate, and PPR points per target in 2021, production levels I’d expect to return sooner rather than later.
Is there risk involved with betting on a tight end who is at less than full strength? Of course, but there’s more risk in betting on the inferior talent that you’ve been replacing him with over the past month-plus, so I’m not wasting time overthinking this one.
For those who celebrate, National Tight End Day occurs one week from Sunday.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Kyle Soppe
George Kittle’s limited practice participation signals a potential return from his month-long hamstring injury absence. Fantasy managers should prepare to immediately reactivate the All-Pro tight end despite risks, as his proven talent outweighs inferior replacement options currently available.
