Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Juwan Johnson

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.

Thursday, February 12, 1:13 PM

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson finally broke out during the 2025 season, largely due to his rapport with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. Last year was Johnson's sixth in the NFL, and it seems like there had been buzz about a Johnson breakout nearly every season. It didn't come to fruition through his first five campaigns in the NFL, mostly because of a crowded tight end room and poor quarterback play. He turned the corner early last season with Spencer Rattler at quarterback, but he really took his productivity to the next level with Shough under center. Johnson finished the 2025 season with 77 catches, 889 yards, and three touchdowns, ranking as the overall TE8 in full-PPR leagues. Signed through 2027, Johnson has a steady future in New Orleans and could take another big step forward next year, especially now that the Saints seem to have some consistency at the quarterback position. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end should enter 2026 fantasy drafts as a mid-to-low TE1.