Who Should I Start? Tyler Higbee or George Kittle

Monday, December 22, 4:35 PM

Head Coach Sean McVay said that the Los Angeles Rams will not activate tight end Tyler Higbee (ankle) from injured reserve for Monday night's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN. Higbee was placed on injured reserve due to an ankle injury he sustained in Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks. The 32-year-old was eligible to return to play in Week 16 but will remain on injured reserve. Before his injury, Higbee had hauled in 20 catches for 190 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 30 targets. In his absence, Colby Parkinson has stepped into the TE1 role for the Rams offense and has been a reliable streaming option for fantasy managers. With a playoff spot secured, the Rams will want to make sure Higbee is fully healthy before rushing him back into action.

Sunday, December 28, 7:04 PM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (ankle) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 17 contest against the Chicago Bears. He had been listed as questionable, but the odds were stacked against him after he missed all three practices this past week. The 49ers left the door open for him to play, but after Kittle tested his ankle during pre-game warmups, the team decided to hold him out. It's a crushing blow for managers who were hoping to have the star tight end available as the fantasy playoffs continue. Instead, Jake Tonges will operate as the 49ers' top tight end. He's a viable replacement on Sunday Night Football, but his ceiling and floor are both lower than Kittle's. Tonges will rank as a fringe top-12 fantasy tight end in his pass-catching role behind wide receivers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall.