Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Jaylen Waddle

Monday, February 23, 8:24 AM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle's (Achilles) optimism for a speedy return in 2026 following a torn Achilles that he suffered in the Wild-Card round win over the Philadelphia Eagles is realistic, according to Dr. Daniel Kaplan, an orthopedic surgeon. Kittle suffered a clean tear that happened high up by his soleus. "They didn't have to drill into my heel," Kittle said. "And where the repair was is where there's more blood flow. And so, it takes some time off the recovery time." Barring a setback during his rehab, it's possible that Kittle could return to the field sometime around September. "It's reasonable to think Week 5 or so would be on the long end of a return," according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Kittle and the Niners are hopeful that when he's back, he'll be able to "return to somewhere close to his usual level of production." The 32-year-old will obviously be pretty risky in fantasy in 2026, but he'll be worth stashing everywhere. If Jake Tongues returns as a restricted free agent, he'll be a low-end TE1 sleeper in the first part of the year until Kittle returns.

Tuesday, February 24, 7:05 AM

ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacque reports that the Miami Dolphins are not actively shopping running back De'Von Achane or wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for trades this offseason. The Dolphins view Achane and Waddle as "important parts of their franchise," which is in a rebuild with a new front office and coaching staff going into the 2026 season. The Dolphins will listen to offers for both players, but the plan is for them both to remain in Miami, according to general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. The team already released receiver Tyreek Hill (knee) and is expected to trade or release quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but they'd like to build around Achane and Waddle after they both had big seasons in 2025. Achane, 24, had his best season in Year 3, rushing for 1,350 yards and eight TDs on 238 carries while adding 67 catches for 488 yards and four more scores in 16 games. Waddle, meanwhile, bounced back in 2025 as the team's leading receiver with a 64-910-6 line in 16 games played.