Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Theo Johnson

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.

Thursday, February 5, 12:00 PM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson established himself as the team's clear top option at the position in his second NFL season in 2025. Across 15 games played, the 24-year-old hauled in 45 receptions for 528 yards and five touchdowns on 74 targets. Johnson played at least 80% of the Giants' offensive snaps in 12 out of the 15 games he was active for. Additionally, all five of his touchdown grabs came from Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, an encouraging sign for the chemistry between two young pieces in the New York offense who should be able to grow together in the coming years. Heading into 2026, the Giants should be getting star wideout Malik Nabers (knee) back from the knee injury that sidelined him for the majority of 2025, which will take some targets away from Johnson. Still, New York's offense profiles as an improving unit as a whole, which should only help Johnson's overall production. He may not have a superstar ceiling, but Johnson profiles as a tight end whose stock is on the rise in dynasty fantasy formats.