Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Eric Saubert

Tuesday, July 23, 3:04 PM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (groin) is fully healthy for the start of the team's training camp on Tuesday. Kittle dropped to 214 pounds, a 30-pound loss, after his core muscle surgery because he wasn't able to work, but he's now back up to his playing weight of 240-243 pounds. While the 29-year-old star tight end tends to be boom-or-bust from a fantasy perspective, he still totaled 65 catches on 90 targets for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns overall across 16 appearances in San Fran in 2023 and remains one of the game's top-tier options at the position. If star wideout Brandon Aiyuk ultimately has his trade request satisfied ahead of the regular season, Kittle's floor would become more stable as more of an offensive focal point in the Niners' high-octane attack.

Monday, April 8, 6:15 PM

The San Francisco 49ers signed free-agent tight end Eric Saubert to an undisclosed one-year deal on Monday. Saubert was initially drafted in the fifth round (174th overall) by the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 out of Drake. The 29-year-old spent the first two years of his NFL career in Atlanta before stops with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. He was with the Cowboys and Texans in 2023 and caught all three of his targets for 12 yards in 10 games (one start). Saubert has 36 career receptions on 55 targets for 292 yards and two touchdowns in 84 games (16 starts) in his seven NFL seasons. In San Francisco this year, Saubert will operate as tight end depth behind starter George Kittle alongside Brayden Willis, Cameron Latu and Jake Tonges.