Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Mike Gesicki

Wednesday, September 24, 9:58 AM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (hamstring) remains on injured reserve after exiting in Week 1. Kittle scored an early touchdown before leaving the game and was placed on IR shortly afterward. His earliest return date is Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, though his fantasy outlook is now clouded in the 49ers' crowded receiver room. With rookie Ricky Pearsall emerging, Jauan Jennings performing when healthy, and Christian McCaffrey leading the team in targets, Kittle may not return to the same dominant workload he had in 2024. Brandon Aiyuk is also tracking toward a late-season return, which could further limit his target share. While Kittle still carries name value and touchdown upside, he might not reclaim elite fantasy status. If he returns strong in midseason, he could be a smart sell-high candidate before the 49ers' offense becomes even more crowded.

Thursday, September 18, 10:33 AM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki has quickly lost his fantasy relevance in 2025. After a bounce-back 2024 season in which he posted his best numbers since 2021, Gesicki's role has diminished with the arrival of free-agent addition Noah Fant. The two have been splitting snaps (Gesicki 44%, Fant 37%), while blocking specialist Drew Sample continues to factor into the rotation. With Joe Burrow expected to miss most of the season, the Bengals' passing attack takes a major hit, further sinking Gesicki's outlook. Between the reduced snap share and a backup quarterback in the lineup, Gesicki should be ranked outside the top 30 fantasy tight ends and is safe to drop in most formats.