Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Isaiah Likely

Saturday, November 1, 6:04 AM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle caught four passes for 43 yards and a touchdown in Week 8. The stat line was not outstanding, but it was enough to qualify as one of the few bright spots for the team on a day where they generated just 223 net yards on offense. Kittle ranked third on the team with five targets, behind Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs, shoulder) and Christian McCaffrey, and will be in the mix to lead the team in targets in Week 9 against the Giants. Mac Jones (knee) has been tabbed to start while Brock Purdy (toe) is listed as questionable. Jones has been unafraid to throw this season (37.7 pass attempts/game), and he kept his tight end Jake Tonges in the picture while Kittle was on the shelf (6.5 targets/game in Jones' starts). Kittle is projected as a TE1 with top-five upside and should be plugged into starting lineups for Week 9.

Friday, November 7, 10:59 AM

Since returning from a foot injury that delayed his start to the 2025 season, Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely has seen minimal usage in his team's passing game. Across five games played, the 25-year-old has hauled in eight catches for 86 yards on nine targets. However, Likely is coming off his best game of the season in Week 9, recording three catches for 60 yards on four targets against the Miami Dolphins. Week 9 was also the first time Likely has shared the field with star Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for a full game. Across 16 games with Jackson in 2024, Likely recorded 42 catches for 477 yards and six touchdowns on 58 targets. Likely's fantasy ceiling is limited by the presence of veteran Ravens tight end Mark Andrews. However, his stock is trending upwards heading into a Week 10 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings now that Jackson is back in the fold.