The San Francisco 49ers will face the Buffalo Bills in Week 13. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding TE George Kittle.
Is George Kittle Playing in Week 13?
Kittle is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.
We’ll continue to monitor the 49ers injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit George Kittle in Week 13?
Kittle didn’t see much change in terms of his role last weekend with Brock Purdy on the shelf. That has me comfortable in locking the star tight end regardless of the QB situation.
- 2024: 20% on-field target share, 9.0 aDOT, and 12.1 expected points
- Week 12: 22.2% on-field target share, 10.0 aDOT, and 11.9 expected points
The 49ers have made it clear that, no matter the players on the field, Kittle is the man they trust as the end zone comes into focus. He’s scored eight times in his past eight games, and with the Bills focusing on preventing big perimeter plays, he should have room to operate in the middle portion of the field.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 13 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
George Kittle’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 13
As of 8 AM ET on Sunday morning, Kittle is projected to score 13.2 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 4.2 receptions for 56.7 yards and 0.5 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insight on the Bills' Defense
We always thought this would be a rebuilding year for the Buffalo Bills defense, and so far, it's proven to be the case. After finishing as a top-seven defense in each of the last three seasons, Buffalo has dropped outside the top 10 this year.
Still, it hasn't been as bad as feared, with just three weeks ranking outside the top 20 and six weeks inside the top 12.
The Bills have excelled this year in forcing turnovers, ranking second. They are also a top-10 unit against the run, although they are below average against the pass.
One solid element has been Buffalo's red-zone defense, allowing touchdowns on just 51.3% of trips (12th), meaning they are allowing just 1.84 points per drive (ninth).
We've seen frailties against good offenses, such as the Cardinals, Ravens, Dolphins, and Chiefs. That could present a potential issue when the competition level improves in the playoffs.
For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis.
George Kittle’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 10:30 AM ET on Sunday, December 1. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.
Week 13 TE PPR Rankings
1) Trey McBride | ARI (at MIN)
2) Brock Bowers | LV (at KC)
3) Travis Kelce | KC (vs. LV)
4) George Kittle | SF (at BUF)
5) David Njoku | CLE (at DEN)
6) T.J. Hockenson | MIN (vs. ARI)
7) Taysom Hill | NO (vs. LAR)
8) Evan Engram | JAX (vs. HOU)
9) Kyle Pitts | ATL (vs. LAC)
10) Dallas Goedert | PHI (at BAL)
11) Will Dissly | LAC (at ATL)
12) Jonnu Smith | MIA (at GB)
13) Hunter Henry | NE (vs. IND)
14) Cade Otton | TB (at CAR)
15) Sam LaPorta | DET (vs. CHI)
16) Tucker Kraft | GB (vs. MIA)
17) Zach Ertz | WAS (vs. TEN)
18) Mark Andrews | BAL (vs. PHI)
19) Luke Schoonmaker | DAL (vs. NYG)
20) Dawson Knox | BUF (vs. SF)
21) Mike Gesicki | CIN (vs. PIT)
22) Dalton Schultz | HOU (at JAX)
23) Pat Freiermuth | PIT (at CIN)
24) Cole Kmet | CHI (at DET)
25) Isaiah Likely | BAL (vs. PHI)
26) Chigoziem Okonkwo | TEN (at WAS)
27) Tyler Conklin | NYJ (vs. SEA)
28) Theo Johnson | MIN (vs. ARI)
29) Noah Gray | KC (vs. LV)
30) Darnell Washington | PIT (at CIN)
31) Tommy Tremble | CAR (vs. TB)
32) Austin Hooper | NE (vs. IND)
33) Juwan Johnson | NO (vs. LAR)
San Francisco 49ers at Buffalo Bills Trends
San Francisco 49ers
Team: The 49ers have lost consecutive games on two separate occasions this season – the last time they did that was in 2020.
QB: Brandon Allen was fine when not pressured (75% complete), but was just two-of-nine when feeling the heat.
Offense: The 49ers averaged 2.31 points per drive in Weeks 1-11, a rate that dropped to 0.83 under Allen in Lambeau on Sunday.
Defense: San Francisco creates pressure on 36.3% of non-blitzed dropbacks, the sixth-highest rate in the league through 12 weeks.
Fantasy: Is there a more difficult player to rank with confidence annually than Deebo Samuel Sr.?
- 2021: 37.6% production over expectation
- 2022: 13.7% production under expectations
- 2023: 35.2% production over expectations
- 2024: 10.2% production under expectations
Betting: Over tickets have come through in each of the 49ers’ past five primetime games.
Buffalo Bills
Team: A seventh straight win would match Buffalo’s longest single-season run of the 2000s (2022).
QB: Why is Josh Allen’s interception rate (1.5%) trending for a career-low? His quick pass rate sits at 67%, easily a career-high (2023: 58.4%).
Offense: The Bills have picked at least 50% of their third downs in four straight games (one such effort in their first seven games).
Defense: Buffalo is allowing opponents to convert 40.8% of third downs, its worst rate since 2012 (44%).
Defense: Patience. The Bills blitz at the third lowest rate, joining the Eagles and Ravens in the bottom-5 of that stat as teams with Super Bowl dreams.
Fantasy: James Cook has six RB1 finishes this season, thanks to having eight more rushing touchdowns on 100 fewer carries than a season ago.
Betting: Overs have cashed in six straight Buffalo home games.