GeorgeKittle

News: 4 days agoKittle (Achilles) said Sunday that he's "very confident" he won't start the season on the reserve/PUP list and that he's still got a chance to play Week 1 versus the Rams, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Spin: Kittle is recovering from a torn Achilles suffered on Jan. 11, and he's maintained this offseason that he'll be ready for the Week 1 opener versus the Rams in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, Sept. 10. He added that the decision about whether he'll play Week 1 should be made before the 49ers depart for their international game versus the Rams, per Wagoner. The soon-to-be 33-year-old recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 2023 and 2024, but he tallied 628 yards on 57 catches across 11 appearances during the 2025 regular season. When healthy, Kittle should still be a key target for San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, especially after wide receiver Ricky Pearsall underwent a season-ending surgery to repair his PCL this August.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Kittle is undoubtedly among the best tight ends in the NFL and fantasy, but he simply can't dodge the injury bug. The 2017 fifth-round pick has played one full season (2018) and tore an Achilles in the team's wild-card victory after missing six regular-season games last season. Kittle could miss a few games to open the season and, now at 32 years old, might not be his usual, dominant self even when he returns. Kittle has finished sixth or better in fantasy PPG in each of the past eight seasons (including first in 2024), so he's worth a late-round flier, especially if you have an available IR slot.