George Kittle joined us on CBS Sports HQ prior to Super Bowl LIV, and we asked the 49ers star to create the perfect tight end from himself, Travis Kelce and Darren Waller. Kittle added a top attribute from Rob Gronkowski as well.
"I'll take my YAC (yards after catch) because I think that's what I specialize in," Kittle said. "I'll take Darren Waller's speed. And I'll take Travis Kelce's route running. Those are three things that I would take in the pass game, but I'm going to throw my run blocking abilities in there as well -- or Gronk's. I'll take Gronk's run blocking also."
Imagine how good that tight end would be. Fantasy managers would be drafting him in the first round -- and maybe No. 1 overall.
As it is, those tight ends are amazing as individuals and the top three -- Kelce, Kittle and Waller -- will be drafted in the first two rounds of most Fantasy leagues. Gronkowski, despite his standout Super Bowl performance against the Chiefs with two touchdowns, is more of a late-round flier in 2021 if he returns to play as expected.
Kittle is coming off a disappointing 2020 where he missed eight games due to multiple lower-leg injuries. In the eight games he played, he had 48 catches, 634 yards and two touchdowns on 63 targets, and he averaged 14.9 PPR points per game.
That was No. 3 at tight end behind only Kelce (20.3) and Waller (16.9) and shows you Kittle is still among the best players at his position. I currently have him ranked third going into 2021 behind Kelce and Waller, but I might put Kittle at No. 2 once the 49ers finalize their quarterback situation.
For Kittle, he hopes Jimmy Garoppolo remains the starter in San Francisco this year.
"I mean I don't daydream about new quarterbacks," Kittle said. "I really like my quarterback. I just focus on playing with Jimmy G. I believe in Jimmy that he's going to be our starting quarterback in this upcoming season.
"Jimmy G handles it the right way. He just shows up and he goes to work. He sets an example for the rest of the team. I'm just excited to get another opportunity to get on the field with Jimmy, especially when he's healthy, because I think he's a heck of a quarterback."
Kittle also is excited about his teammates at receiver in Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Kittle said "I love them both" and that he can talk about them all day.
For Aiyuk, he had an impressive rookie season with 60 catches for 748 yards and five touchdowns on 96 targets in 12 games. He averaged 14.9 PPR points per game and scored at least 17 PPR points seven times.
I like Aiyuk as a borderline starter in all leagues, and he's worth drafting as early as Round 5. Kittle was impressed with how Aiyuk adjusted to the NFL despite the lack of a traditional offseason and training camp for most rookies.
"For me, if I was in his situation with no OTAs, no preseason games, I'm not even sure I would have made the team," Kittle said. "It was hard for me in my rookie year. Aiyuk came in, and he excelled at a high level. And he's nowhere near his ceiling by any means, but he played at a very high level. He's a playmaker. He can jump over guys. When he gets the ball in his hands, he's great with YAC. He's just a complete threat for us."
Samuel struggled with injuries in 2020 and only appeared in seven games. He finished the season with 33 catches for 391 yards and a touchdown, and he scored at least 11 PPR points just four times. For the season, he averaged 10.9 PPR points.
As a rookie in 2019, Samuel was a better Fantasy option at 12.5 PPR points per game, and Kittle said he expects that kind of production from Samuel in 2021. He's worth drafting in all leagues with a late-round pick, but he should be considered a sleeper.
"I love Deebo because of his physicalness," Kittle said. "Everything he does he's trying to run through somebody or run over somebody or just beat them with blatant speed. It's really fun to be a part of that because it's kind of the way I try to do it as well. Whenever Deebo has the ball in his hands, whether it's behind the line of scrimmage or running a route, he's always looking to score a touchdown. That's the mindset you have to have to be great in the NFL. He just adds such a different dimension to our offense with all the things we can do with him."
With Aiyuk and Samuel hopefully healthy and expected to take on bigger roles, I asked Kittle if he can still be as dominant from a statistical standpoint in 2021 and beyond. He's averaged eight targets a game over the past three seasons, but that number could decline if Garoppolo or a new quarterback decides to spread the ball around to the rest of the receivers.
As you would expect, Kittle isn't concerned.
"I think I'm pretty good once I get the ball in my hands," Kittle said. "Yes, there are a lot of mouths to feed. But that's what makes it so fun. What I love about coach (Kyle) Shanahan is he gives you an opportunity, and it's your job to do something with the ball when he puts it in your hands."
We hope to see Kittle healthy and getting the ball in his hands a lot this season. He's among the best tight ends in Fantasy and reality, and he's worth drafting in Round 2 in all leagues this year.
