Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Tucker Kraft

Wednesday, June 25, 3:26 PM

During a recent appearance on the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle said he feels great physically and mentally, and he is not putting a timeline on his retirement. The former fifth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Iowa said he will play "literally until I don't have fun anymore." The Pro Bowl and All-Pro fixture recently signed a four-year extension to remain with the Niners long term following a 78-catch, 1,106-yard, eight-touchdown season in 2024. "The one benefit of not making the playoffs is you get an entire month off," Kittle said. "I haven't had January off since 2020." This sounds like a great development for Kittle's fantasy managers and his upside in 2025, especially after the departure of receiver Deebo Samuel Sr., who was traded to the Washington Commanders. Kittle is currently being priced as the TE3 in half-PPR ADP, and it would be a surprise if he's not in contention for the overall TE1 once again in his ninth NFL campaign.

Thursday, June 12, 12:02 PM

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love said specifically that tight end Tucker Kraft's usage is a major point of focus this spring during offseason workouts. Kraft took a big jump from his rookie season in 2023 to last year, catching 50 of 70 targets for 707 yards and seven touchdowns in 17 regular-season starts as Green Bay's primary pass-catching tight end. He had just 31 receptions for 355 yards and two scores in 17 games (eight starts) in 2023 while splitting snaps with Luke Musgrave. It helped that Musgrave missed 10 games with an ankle injury last year, but Kraft should operate as the team's TE1 in 2025, and he's certainly an intriguing low-end TE1 target in fantasy drafts with upside for more because of his yards-after-the-catch prowess. The 24-year-old former third-rounder (78th overall) in 2023 out of South Dakota State is ranked as RotoBaller's No. 11 fantasy tight end.