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.

Friday, December 26, 3:29 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton has made a minimal impact in the passing attack during the second half of the season. When the Bucs were banged up, Otton was getting double-digit targets some weeks, but that's not the case anymore. The return of receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan has basically put an end to Otton's streaming value. The fourth-year tight end has been held to under 25 receiving yards in four straight games. It's tough to imagine anything changing during the upcoming Week 17 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. There should be better streaming options at the tight end position available for fantasy championship games this weekend.