Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Isaiah Likely

Tuesday, December 2, 4:36 PM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle led the team with 67 receiving yards in their 26-8 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Kittle had five targets and tied for the team high with four catches on a day when quarterback Brock Purdy completed just 16 passes. Almost half of his yardage came on San Francisco's last snap of the first half, when Purdy hit Kittle on a 33-yard bomb that set up a chip-shot field goal for Matt Gay before halftime. Kittle finished outside of top-12 territory for the first time since Week 9, but is working on a four-game streak with at least four catches and 67 receiving yards. The 49ers are on bye in Week 14, but will see favorable matchups in the fantasy football playoffs with games against the Titans, Colts, and Bears.

Tuesday, December 2, 11:59 AM

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely posted his most productive performance of the season in Week 13, recording five catches for 95 yards on six targets against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the 25-year-old was also responsible for one of the turning points in the game when he coughed up a fumble as he was crossing the goal line, turning a touchdown into a touchback. Still, Likely's increased involvement is a positive sign for fantasy managers. Although he's failed to find the end zone so far this season, Likely recorded six touchdowns on 58 targets across 16 games in 2024 and has shown stretches of red zone chemistry with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throughout his career. The presence of tight ends Mark Andrews and Charlie Kolar in Baltimore limits Likely's upside, as he's played fewer than 60% of the team's offensive snaps in six straight games heading into his Week 14 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, in deep fantasy leagues, Likely may be worth stashing off the waiver wire in case an injury to Andrews opens up a significant playing time opportunity in Baltimore.