Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Ian Thomas

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.

Tuesday, March 25, 1:32 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Tuesday that they signed free-agent tight end Ian Thomas (calf) to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday. Thomas will head to the AFC West after spending the first seven years of his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers after they selected him in the fourth round (101st overall) in the 2018 NFL draft out of Indiana. The 28-year-old never really established himself as a fantasy asset in Carolina, with his best season coming in his rookie campaign with a 36-333-2 line on 49 targets in 16 games (six starts). Thomas landed on Injured Reserve in 2024 with a calf injury and only caught three of six targets for seven yards in five games (two starts). He scored four touchdowns in his first three seasons but hasn't found the end zone since. In Vegas, he'll provide TE depth behind Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer and will remain off the fantasy radar.