Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Brock Bowers

Saturday, November 29, 4:33 AM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle started slowly in his return from injured reserve, putting up an 8-75-1 line in his first three games back. Since Week 10, Kittle turned things around and has averaged seven receptions, 76.3 yards, and one touchdown per game. On Sunday, the 49ers travel to Cleveland to face the Browns, who just allowed a combined 11 catches for 105 yards to the Raiders' tight end group. The forecast in Cleveland calls for strong winds, rain, and snow, which could steer the 49ers into leaning on their run game. Kittle should remain a factor, especially when San Francisco closes in on the end zone. Over the last three weeks, Kittle is tied for the third-most targets and has the fourth-most receptions in the red zone. He projects as a TE1 and can be started in fantasy football lineups in Week 13.

Sunday, November 30, 9:12 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was one of the lone bright spots from his team's 31-14 Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, hauling in four catches for 63 yards and two touchdowns on four targets. The 22-year-old has now recorded 49 receptions for 573 yards and five scores on 68 targets across nine games this season. In the team's first game with Greg Olson calling plays instead of Chip Kelly, Raiders quarterback Geno Smith attempted just 23 passes, his fewest in a game since Week 7. The diminished pass volume is a big reason why Bowers saw just four targets, which is his second-fewest in any game this season. However, Las Vegas ran for just 31 yards against Los Angeles, so they may be forced to turn to the air more frequently in the coming weeks. As long as Bowers stays healthy, he profiles as a must-start tight end heading into his Week 14 matchup against the Denver Broncos.