Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Drew Sample

Thursday, October 9, 9:21 AM

The San Fransisco 49ers will spend at least one more week without star tight end George Kittle (hamstring), which opens the door for backup Jake Tonges to continue being a streaming option with his team set for a plus matchup against the Tampa Bay Bucs. The fourth-year man from Cal hasn't been an exact 1:1 replacement for Kittle's do-it-all skill set, but he's done well as a pass catcher, ranking in the top 10 among fantasy tight ends thanks to 19 receptions and three touchdowns in five weeks. Though Tonges' workload is going to decrease as soon as Kittle comes back, Tonges tied for the team lead in targets last week. He'll carry lineup appeal into Week 6, especially in formats that play more than one tight end.

Saturday, September 27, 2:08 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample has only three catches this season, with one resulting in a trip to the end zone. The 29-year-old has logged more snaps than Mike Gesicki and Noah Fant (foot) through the first three weeks of the 2025 campaign. However, both have received more attention from quarterbacks Joe Burrow (toe) and Jake Browning. The Bengals offense is a mess, which has been a surprise to most. As a result, it's hard to trust anyone on that side of the ball. Granted, Sample should continue to lead the position in snaps, especially with his abilities as a blocker. Still, while he will likely add a few more scores to his resume before the end of the season, he's not consistent enough to be considered a starting fantasy option in any format in Week 4 versus the Broncos.