Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Colby Parkinson

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.

Tuesday, January 20, 8:41 PM

Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson is emerging as the team's best TE option in fantasy football playoff leagues despite fellow TEs Tyler Higbee and rookie Terrance Ferguson being involved. In the Divisional Round victory over the Chicago Bears, Parkinson caught three of his seven targets for 56 yards. The 27-year-old tied Pro Bowl receiver Puka Nacua for the team lead in receiving yards in snowy conditions. The fact that the Rams are involving three pass-catching tight ends makes Parkinson a bit more volatile in fantasy, but it should be comforting to know that he has had exactly seven targets in four of the last six games. He also scored a combined three touchdowns in the two games before this past Sunday's overtime win over the Bears. Parkinson has notable upside going into the NFC Championship matchup against a Seahawks defense that allowed the 11th-most half-PPR fantasy points to the position in 17 regular-season games.