George Kittle

San Francisco 49ers
Tight End #85
San Francisco 49ers
Tight End #85
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George Kittle News

Finishes season with 11 TDs

Kittle had four receptions (six targets) for 29 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 38-13 win over Arizona.

Analysis: Kittle continued his late-season scoring flurry with two more trips to the end zone, cracking the double-digit touchdown mark for the first time in his career. It wasn't all roses for the exuberant tight end in 2022, as he missed the first two games of the year due to injury, then struggled to produce consistently until the second half of the season. Fantasy managers that were able to withstand Kittle's early-season woes were rewarded handsomely during the fantasy playoff period with a whopping seven touchdowns over the final four weeks of the season. Kittle will likely be priced at a premium in DFS formats when San Francisco begins postseason play next week.

Jan 8, 2023 5:57 PM EST


Stays hot with ninth TD

Kittle caught four of eight targets for 23 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 37-34 overtime win over the Raiders.

Analysis: Las Vegas' defense did a good job limiting Kittle to a 50 percent catch rate and his second lowest receiving total of the season. The star tight end still rewarded fantasy managers with a short score in the second quarter, his fifth touchdown in his last three games. Kittle and the surging 49ers will look to take advantage of a struggling Cardinals unit next Sunday, who the tight end burned for 84 yards and two scores back in Week 11.

Jan 1, 2023 6:52 PM EST



Continues late-season surge

Kittle finished with six receptions (eight targets) for 120 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 37-20 win over Washington.

Analysis: Kittle played like a man possessed Saturday, ripping off several big-chunk plays en route to his second two-score game in as many weeks. The 29-year-old almost had a third touchdown late in the contest, but he was ultimately stopped one yard short before giving way to Christian McCaffrey to finish off the successful drive. Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy has developed a nice rapport with his star tight end since taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle) a few weeks back. Kittle's late-season surge has coincided with the absence of Deebo Samuel (knee/ankle) -- who has not been ruled out for Week 17 -- so the tight end's recent run of increased usage could take a hit once the latter returns. For now, Kittle remains a strong fantasy play heading into a New Year's Day matchup against the Raiders.

Dec 24, 2022 6:00 PM EST


Pair of touchdowns in Week 15 win

Kittle secured four of five targets for 93 yards and two touchdowns in the 49ers' 21-13 win over the Seahawks on Thursday night.

Analysis: Kittle paced the 49ers' pass-catching corps in receiving yardage and touchdowns, recording 28- and 54-yard scoring grabs in the first and third quarters, respectively. The versatile tight end displayed his athleticism on the second one in particular, eluding several Seahawks defenders on the way to the end zone. Kittle's pair of end-zone trips snapped a three-game touchdown drought and a streak of sub-30-yard tallies of that same length as well. With this breakout effort under his belt, Kittle heads into a Week 16 home matchup versus the Commanders a week from Saturday.

Dec 15, 2022 8:52 PM EST


Limited to 28 yards in win

Kittle caught four of five targets for 28 yards in Sunday's 35-7 win over the Buccaneers.

Analysis: Kittle saw a some extra usage in rookie Brock Purdy's first career start, but he still finished with less than 30 yards for the fourth time in five games. It has been a rollercoaster ride for the 28-year-old in 2022, who still owns a respectable 42/500/4 receiving line through 11 starts. While managers may be losing faith in the former fantasy stud, head coach Kyle Shanahan may be forced to draw up more plays for his star tight end down the stretch after Deebo Samuel (ankle) had to be carted off the field Sunday. Kittle will look to get his season back on track against the Seahawks on Thursday.

Dec 11, 2022 5:46 PM EST



Another down game

Kittle caught two of three targets for 22 yards in Sunday's 33-17 win over Miami.

Analysis: Kittle was an afterthought on offense in a game where the 49ers threw the ball 41 times. The 29-year-old tied fullback Kyle Juszczyk for the second-lowest target total Sunday (three), and the latter even had a red-zone play drawn up for a touchdown to add salt to the fantasy wounds of the tight end's managers. Kittle has finished with less than 30 receiving yards and no scores in five of 10 active games in 2022. Kittle should be treated as a boom-or-bust fantasy play in Week 14, even with third-string quarterback Brock Purdy under center against the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Dec 4, 2022 5:53 PM EST


Reverts back to low usage

Kittle caught three of four targets for 26 yards in Sunday's 13-0 win over New Orleans.

Analysis: Kittle saw his usage dip back down coming off of his best game of the season against the Cardinals last week (4/84/2). He finished fifth in team targets as head coach Kyle Shanahan struggled to get him the ball, a common trend in an overall down 2022 campaign for the star tight end. Fantasy managers are hoping that Kittle will be more involved in the gameplan against a high-octane Dolphins team on Sunday.

Nov 27, 2022 7:32 PM EST


Scores twice in blowout win

Kittle recorded four receptions on six targets for 84 yards and two touchdowns in Monday's 38-10 win over the Cardinals.

Analysis: Kittle turned in long touchdown receptions of 39 and 32 yards to account for the majority of his production. He showcased his athleticism on each occasion, picking up the majority of his yardage after the catch while weaving through Arizona's defense. As a result, he was able to top 50 receiving yards for only the third time this season. While Kittle remains a highly efficient pass catcher, the 49ers have an array of offensive weapons, which limits his volume on a game-to-game basis.

Nov 21, 2022 9:41 PM EST


Targeted twice in win

Kittle caught one of two targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 22-16 win over the Chargers.

Analysis: Kittle was used sparsely despite seeing the field for nearly every offensive snap. Tough to put blame on the player when the coaching staff prefers to use one of the best receiving tight ends in the league as a run blocker. Fantasy managers just have to brush this off and hope for more than two targets for Kittle in next Monday's tilt against the Cardinals in Mexico City.

Nov 13, 2022 11:06 PM EST


Stays hot with another TD

Kittle had three receptions (five targets) for 39 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-14 win over the Rams.

Analysis: Kittle ran a beautiful route along the back edge of the end zone and Jimmy Garoppolo connected with his tight end for a score for the second week in a row. The 29-year-old is beginning to heat up after a slow start, averaging 5.5 receptions and 66.8 yards over his last four games. Kittle will look to keep things rolling after the upcoming bye week when the 49ers take on the Chargers on Nov. 13.

Oct 30, 2022 6:26 PM EST


Posts big line in losing effort

Kittle caught six of nine targets for 98 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 44-23 loss to the Chiefs.

Analysis: Kittle went blow-for-blow with Travis Kelce on National Tight End Day in the NFL, finishing with an identical stat line to his Kansas City counterpart. The former finished with the finer fantasy line, adding a touchdown (his first of the year) with an impressive grab for a score in the fourth quarter. Head coach Kyle Shanahan appears to finally be scheming Kittle as a receiver with more frequency, resulting in strong results over the last two weeks (14-181-1) after a horrid start to the year. Kittle will look to keep things rolling against the Rams next Sunday.

Oct 23, 2022 6:23 PM EST


Finally gets heavy usage

Kittle had eight catches on 10 targets for 83 yards in Sunday's 28-14 loss to the Falcons.

Analysis: Kittle finally posted a fantasy line worth his price tag on draft day, setting new season highs in receptions, targets and yards. Head coach Kyle Shanahan figured out how to get his star tight end involved in the offensive gameplan after averaging just five targets in the three games the 28-year-old has been healthy for this season. Fantasy managers are hoping that Kittle remains a focal point of the offensive gameplan heading into matchup against Kansas City next Sunday.

Oct 16, 2022 7:04 PM EST


Five grabs against Carolina

Kittle caught five of six targets for 47 yards in Sunday's 37-15 win over the Panthers.

Analysis: The numbers aren't impressive on the surface, but Kittle led the 49ers in receptions on the afternoon and he posted his best performance of the year, after he missed the first two games with a groin injury. He'll look to keep increasing his production in Week 6 against a Falcons defense that has struggled to contain tight ends so far in 2022.

Oct 9, 2022 6:16 PM EST


More blocking than catching on MNF

Kittle caught two of four targets for 24 yards in Monday's 24-9 win over the Rams.

Analysis: Kittle wasn't targeted in the first half as San Francisco got lengthy touchdowns from Jeff Wilson (32-yard run) and Deebo Samuel (57-yard catch). The standout tight end was more involved after halftime, securing a 20-yard catch and later narrowly missing a short touchdown by failing to get his feet in-bounds. Playing without left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and later losing Williams' replacement Colton McKivitz (knee), the 49ers relied more on Kittle's blocking prowess than his pass-catching ability, and that could wind up being the case again in Week 5 against the Panthers.

Oct 3, 2022 8:24 PM EST


Nabs four receptions in 2022 debut

Kittle (groin) hauled in four of five targets for 28 yards in Sunday's 11-10 loss to the Broncos.

Analysis: Kittle made his much-anticipated return from a groin injury that kept him out of the first two games of the season. The star tight end looked like his old self, throwing his weight around in the run game like the pseudo offensive lineman that he is. The 28-year-old's fantasy line left much to be desired, as head coach Kyle Shanahan inexplicably failed to get his explosive tight end the ball more than four times in a game where the 49ers showed no life offensively outside of a lone drive in the first quarter. The positive news to take away from a fantasy perspective is that he didn't appear to be limited physically, nor did he suffer a setback. Kittle will look to make his first fantasy splash in a divisional matchup against the Rams on Monday Night Football in Week 4.

Sep 25, 2022 10:49 PM EST


Cleared for Sunday

Kittle (groin) has been cleared for Sunday's game against Denver, avoiding a designation on the final injury report, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Kittle was close to playing Week 2 against the Seahawks and might have been rushed back had the game been later in the season or against a better team. He'll instead make his 2022 debut in Denver, facing a defense that's yet to go up against a top receiving threat at tight end this year. It'll also be the first start of 2022 for longtime teammate Jimmy Garoppolo, who takes over for Trey Lance after the young QB suffered a season-ending ankle fracture last week.

Sep 23, 2022 1:44 PM EST


Gets in limited work again

Kittle (groin) was limited at practice Thursday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Analysis: After Kittle returned to practice last Friday, coach Kyle Shanahan said the veteran tight end looked "awesome," and while he's taken part in both official sessions this week, he's yet to handle every practice rep. Friday will be Kittle's last chance to do so during Week 3 prep, after which the 49ers may hand him a designation for Sunday's game at Denver. If he ends up limited or even out this weekend, Kittle would yield TE reps to Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner with Tyler Kroft tending to a sprained MCL.

Sep 22, 2022 3:32 PM EST


Limited again Wednesday

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Kittle (groin) will be a limited practice participant Wednesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Kittle capped Week 2 prep with a limited showing on the field, after which Shanahan said the tight end looked "awesome," per David Lombardi of The Athletic. Still, the 49ers opted to keep Kittle sidelined for a second consecutive game to start the campaign with the hope he'd be healthier for Week 3. He'll have two more chances to bump up to a full session Thursday and/or Friday before the team potentially clears him for his season debut.

Sep 21, 2022 1:11 PM EST


Was close to playing Week 2

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Kittle (groin) was close to being available for the 49ers' Week 2 matchup with the Seahawks, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Analysis: After Kittle logged a limited practice last Friday, Shanahan said the tight end looked "awesome," and he eventually entered the weekend as questionable. In the end, Kittle was held out with the anticipation he'd be even healthier for Week 3 action. His activity level will be one to watch when the 49ers step on the field Wednesday and begin to gear up for Sunday night's contest at Denver.

Sep 19, 2022 3:49 PM EST


Officially not playing Sunday

Kittle (groin) is listed as inactive Sunday versus the Seahawks, Lindsey Pallares and Briana McDonald of the 49ers' official site report.

Analysis: There was a glimmer of hope that Kittle would be able to make his season debut Week 2 after he returned to a limited practice Friday. Coach Kyle Shanahan told David Lombardi of The Athletic that Kittle looked "awesome" during that session, but despite receiving a questionable designation, the tide turned back against him as the weekend went on. Now officially inactive for a second consecutive game, Kittle will yield tight end reps to Tyler Kroft, Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner on Sunday.

Sep 18, 2022 11:40 AM EST


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