George Kittle has been one of the very best tight ends over the last few years for the San Francisco 49ers. Whether it is his blocking or his mentality of not allowing himself to be taken down, he is a fan favorite.
Despite having explosive teammates such as Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Christian McCaffrey, Kittle is still a reliable player when it comes to tight ends. However, Kittle has been dealing with a groin injury, but he did play in the preseason for the first time on Friday night.
What exactly happened to Kittle, and how should fantasy managers value him as he is battling an injury right before the season starts?
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What Happened to George Kittle?
On Aug. 10, the 49ers announced that he had an adductor strain, and that is what caused him to miss the first two preseason games. This is a type of injury that can last only two weeks or be an issue for months. The team said they didn’t think it was severe and that Kittle would be back sooner rather than later.
For the 49ers to play him Friday night against the Chargers shows the team is very confident he will be back for the opener against the Steelers.
What Are San Francisco’s Options if Kittle Misses Time?
While it seems like Kittle should be good to go moving forward, what are the options if he isn’t 100 percent? Currently, second on the 49ers’ depth chart is Charlie Woerner, a 2020 sixth-round pick out of Georgia who has eight career catches.
Meanwhile, Ross Dwelley is third on the TE depth chart, and he has 43 career receptions in five seasons.
What Does this Mean for Kittle’s Fantasy Ranking?
This shouldn’t change your opinion on Kittle, as he is TE6 in our PFN consensus rankings. There was some hesitancy prior to him returning to game action on Aug. 25, but that should be set aside at this point.
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With so many playmakers on the 49ers, there will be some weeks where he doesn’t see the ball as much. However, with Brock Purdy back, Kittle’s upside is still extremely high, and he should be valued as a solid pick in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.