Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Cade Otton

Wednesday, September 24, 9:58 AM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (hamstring) remains on injured reserve after exiting in Week 1. Kittle scored an early touchdown before leaving the game and was placed on IR shortly afterward. His earliest return date is Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, though his fantasy outlook is now clouded in the 49ers' crowded receiver room. With rookie Ricky Pearsall emerging, Jauan Jennings performing when healthy, and Christian McCaffrey leading the team in targets, Kittle may not return to the same dominant workload he had in 2024. Brandon Aiyuk is also tracking toward a late-season return, which could further limit his target share. While Kittle still carries name value and touchdown upside, he might not reclaim elite fantasy status. If he returns strong in midseason, he could be a smart sell-high candidate before the 49ers' offense becomes even more crowded.

Friday, September 26, 3:16 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton was held without a catch for the second time this season during last week's win over the New York Jets. In fact, Otton wasn't even targeted despite being on the field for 92 percent of the offensive snaps. It's worth noting that the Bucs will be without wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) during this game. Despite that, Otton hasn't done enough on the field to warrant starting in fantasy formats. The hope is that the 26-year-old will get more involved, but the fourth-year tight end belongs on the bench in Week 4.