Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Mason Taylor

Tuesday, January 20, 12:48 PM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (Achilles) said on Monday that he expects to return from his torn Achilles "well before November" while also saying he could play close to the 2026 regular-season opener, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Kittle tore his Achilles tendon in the Wild-Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 11 and had successful surgery last week. Kittle's Achilles tear was a best-case scenario because he suffered a "clean tear." "They didn't have to drill into my heel," Kittle said. "And where the repair was, there's more blood flow. And so it takes some time off the recovery time." The 32-year-old only played in 11 regular-season games due to injuries in 2025, although he was the TE3 in half-PPR fantasy points per game (12.1), catching 57 passes for 628 yards and seven TDs. While Kittle is optimistic about his recovery, fantasy managers should expect him to miss potentially half the 2026 season.

Friday, January 2, 12:20 PM

New York Jets rookie tight end Mason Taylor (neck) has officially been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Buffalo Bills, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. Taylor's rookie campaign will end with four straight missed games due to a neck injury. Head coach Aaron Glenn said that Taylor didn't have a setback with his injury. "Doctor's orders," Glenn said. Jelani Woods (hamstring) will also be out for the Jets this weekend, so Jeremy Ruckert and Stone Smartt will compete for pass-catching duties at TE for the team in the final game of the season. The 21-year-old will wrap up his first year in the NFL with 44 receptions on 65 targets for 369 yards and one touchdown. Taylor wasn't really relevant in 12-team fantasy leagues, and his outlook moving forward will all depend on the Jets' plans at quarterback.