Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Cade Otton

Tuesday, January 20, 12:48 PM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (Achilles) said on Monday that he expects to return from his torn Achilles "well before November" while also saying he could play close to the 2026 regular-season opener, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Kittle tore his Achilles tendon in the Wild-Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 11 and had successful surgery last week. Kittle's Achilles tear was a best-case scenario because he suffered a "clean tear." "They didn't have to drill into my heel," Kittle said. "And where the repair was, there's more blood flow. And so it takes some time off the recovery time." The 32-year-old only played in 11 regular-season games due to injuries in 2025, although he was the TE3 in half-PPR fantasy points per game (12.1), catching 57 passes for 628 yards and seven TDs. While Kittle is optimistic about his recovery, fantasy managers should expect him to miss potentially half the 2026 season.

Monday, February 16, 6:21 AM

Across 16 games in 2025, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton recorded 59 receptions for 572 yards and one touchdown on 81 targets. Despite injuries in Tampa Bay to key pass-catchers like wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. that sidelined them for large chunks of the season, Otton never fully emerged as a go-to target for Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Across four NFL seasons, Otton has never recorded more than 59 catches, 600 receiving yards, or four touchdowns in a single year. Heading into his age-27 season, Otton is now set to hit unrestricted free agency. If he leaves Tampa Bay, Otton could benefit by landing in a situation with less competition for targets. However, based on his track record to this point, there's no guarantee that a new team would sign Otton to be its unencumbered number one receiving tight end, which is the role he's held over the last two seasons in Tampa Bay. Whether he's back with the Buccaneers or not, Otton appears to have a defined production ceiling that limits his fantasy appeal in dynasty formats going forward.