Who Should I Start? Travis Kelce or George Kittle

Monday, February 9, 10:27 AM

The Kansas City Chiefs want impending free-agent tight end Travis Kelce back in 2026 if he decides to play for another season, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Kelce has not made a firm decision on his playing future, but reports over the weekend suggest that he could be leaning toward playing another season. The 36-year-old 11-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro caught 76 of his 108 targets for 851 yards and five touchdowns in his 17 starts in 2025 in his 13th year in the league. Although Kelce finished under 1,000 receiving yards for the third straight season, he still managed to finish as the TE4 in half-PPR scoring, and he should remain a favorite target of quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) in 2026 if he comes back. Kelce is long in the tooth, but he should stay in TE1 territory in fantasy football next season if he returns, especially considering the team has multiple receivers that will hit the free-agent market.

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.