Who Should I Start? George Kittle or T.J. Hockenson

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.

Friday, September 19, 7:23 PM

Faced with another solid opportunity for production, Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson is a low-end TE1 candidate against the Cincinnati Bengals, though fantasy managers could certainly be forgiven for being leery about his potential following two straight duds. The veteran tight end is facing a plus matchup for tight ends against the Bengals' defense, but is also coming into the game with four catches, 27 total yards, and zero red-zone targets in two games. Most concerning, the Vikings will be without starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) and could be starting three offensive linemen -- from left tackle to center -- with a combined two NFL starts. It's clear the Vikings are going to have to be more creative offensively in the following weeks, however, and that should mean more involvement for Hockenson.