Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Deebo Samuel Sr.

Wednesday, June 25, 3:26 PM

During a recent appearance on the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle said he feels great physically and mentally, and he is not putting a timeline on his retirement. The former fifth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Iowa said he will play "literally until I don't have fun anymore." The Pro Bowl and All-Pro fixture recently signed a four-year extension to remain with the Niners long term following a 78-catch, 1,106-yard, eight-touchdown season in 2024. "The one benefit of not making the playoffs is you get an entire month off," Kittle said. "I haven't had January off since 2020." This sounds like a great development for Kittle's fantasy managers and his upside in 2025, especially after the departure of receiver Deebo Samuel Sr., who was traded to the Washington Commanders. Kittle is currently being priced as the TE3 in half-PPR ADP, and it would be a surprise if he's not in contention for the overall TE1 once again in his ninth NFL campaign.

Wednesday, June 25, 12:18 PM

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is pretty excited to work with new wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. in 2025, and the two have already developed some nice chemistry this offseason. "I'm excited to throw him a little screen and hopefully on the stat sheet it says a touchdown for 80 yards and I didn't have to do any of the work," Daniels said while laughing. Samuel once again battled through injuries in a 2024 campaign that saw him catch just 51 passes for 670 yards and three touchdowns on 81 targets while the Niners offense fell apart without running back Christian McCaffrey. The 29-year-old will be an interesting fit in Kliff Kingsbury's offense, but it's quite possible Samuel's physical style of play has taken a toll on him and caused him to lose a step. Samuel is going to need to be productive after the catch to retain value in fantasy. RotoBaller has him ranked as the WR43 going into the 2025 season.