Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Tucker Kraft

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, 11:18 AM

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) suffered a torn ACL in Week 9 of the 2025 season, putting an early end to a promising breakout campaign. Across his eight games played before getting hurt, the 25-year-old recorded 32 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns on 44 targets. Even with the injury, recent reporting indicates that the Packers have begun extension negotiations with Kraft, signaling that the young tight end remains a big piece in the team's plans. Green Bay traditionally spreads the ball around to a multitude of pass catchers, which limits Kraft's volume-related production. However, he has proven the ability to be highly efficient on a low number of targets. For his career, Kraft is averaging 13.7 yards per reception and has hauled in 15 touchdown grabs on just 154 total targets. Given the timing of his injury, Kraft has a chance to be ready for the start of the 2026 season. Despite the unfortunate injury setback, Kraft remains a high-end tight end option for dynasty fantasy managers coming out of 2025.