Who Should I Start? George Kittle or AJ Barner

Tuesday, June 23, 5:05 PM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (Achilles) said on Tuesday that he is "definitely on track" to be ready to play in Week 1 of the 2026 regular season in early September, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. Kittle said nothing is 100% certain right now, but he said, "I have a chance." The 32-year-old seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro said he hasn't had any setbacks in his recovery from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the postseason loss on Jan. 11, and he told NBC Sports' Florito Maniego that he is "running over 16 mph." Kittle did not practice with the rest of the team during organized team activities or mandatory minicamp during the spring, but that could change come training camp this summer. The nine-year veteran has four 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his career and has scored 52 touchdowns in 124 regular-season games, but durability concerns make him a pretty big fantasy risk as he heads into Year 10. Kittle played in just 11 regular-season games in 2025 and caught 57 passes for 628 yards and seven touchdowns on 69 targets. Because we don't know for sure whether he'll be a full-go for Week 1, fantasy managers should consider him as more of a high-end TE2 in upcoming drafts.