49ers' George Kittle: Catches three balls in playoff loss
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Kittle caught three of four targets for 32 yards in Sunday's 31-7 NFC Championship Game loss to Philadelphia.
San Francisco's passing offense went by the wayside following injuries to both of its active quarterbacks, resulting in no receiver finishing with more than 33 yards in the one-sided loss. Kittle got off to a slow start in 2022 after getting injured late in camp, but a second-half surge resulted in a strong 60-765-11 receiving line over 15 active regular-season games. The 29-year-old remains under contract with the 49ers for the 2023 campaign, but it is unclear who will be delivering balls to the athletic tight end, with Trey Lance (ankle), Jimmy Garoppolo (foot) and Brock Purdy (elbow) all finishing this season injured. Kittle no longer is in Travis Kelce's tier of fantasy tight ends, but he still should be one of the first options taken off the board in drafts next season.
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49ers' George Kittle: Delivers in divisional win
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Kittle had five receptions on as many targets for 95 yards in Sunday's 19-12 divisional-round win over the Cowboys.
Kittle bounced back from a mediocre showing in the wild-card round (2-37-0) to lead his team in receiving en route to another playoff win. The eccentric tight end made the highlight play on San Francisco's game-winning drive in the fourth quarter when he volleyed a deep pass multiple times to himself before securing it for a huge gain. Christian McCaffrey capped off the lengthy drive with a touchdown run, effectively advancing the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game against the Eagles. Kittle will look to take advantage of Philadelphia's undersized linebacking unit next Sunday.
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49ers' George Kittle: Used as blocker in second half
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Kittle caught both of his targets for 37 yards in Saturday's 41-23 playoff win over the Seahawks.
Kittle recorded a couple of nice receptions, but he ultimately disappointed from a fantasy perspective with the low volume. The star tight end was asked to stay back as a blocker to help a struggling offensive line Saturday, resulting in the low target share. Kittle was Brock Purdy's favorite target down the stretch of the regular season when the duo connected for seven scores over a four-game stretch, so there is still big-game potential heading into the divisional round.
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49ers' George Kittle: Finishes season with 11 TDs
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Kittle had four receptions (six targets) for 29 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 38-13 win over Arizona.
Kittle continued his late-season scoring flurry with two more trips to the end zone, cracking the double-digit touchdown mark for the first time in his career. It wasn't all roses for the exuberant tight end in 2022, as he missed the first two games of the year due to injury, then struggled to produce consistently until the second half of the season. Fantasy managers who were able to withstand Kittle's early-season woes were rewarded handsomely during the fantasy playoff period with a whopping seven touchdowns over the final four weeks of the season. Kittle will likely be priced at a premium in DFS formats when San Francisco begins postseason play next week.
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49ers' George Kittle: Top DFS Play (TE Preview)
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Kittle caught four passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns the last time he faced the Cardinals, and they've allowed the second-most Fantasy points to the position this season. With Travis Kelce playing on Saturday, Kittle is the top tight end on the main slate.
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49ers' George Kittle: Stays hot with ninth TD
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Kittle caught four of eight targets for 23 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 37-34 overtime win over the Raiders.
Las Vegas' defense did a good job limiting Kittle to a 50 percent catch rate and his second lowest receiving total of the season. The star tight end still rewarded fantasy managers with a short score in the second quarter, his fifth touchdown in his last three games. Kittle and the surging 49ers will look to take advantage of a struggling Cardinals unit next Sunday, a team the tight end burned for 84 yards and two scores back in Week 11.
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49ers' George Kittle: Continues late-season surge
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Kittle finished with six receptions (eight targets) for 120 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 37-20 win over Washington.
Kittle played like a man possessed Saturday, ripping off several big-chunk plays en route to his second two-score game in as many weeks. The 29-year-old almost had a third touchdown late in the contest, but he was ultimately stopped one yard short before giving way to Christian McCaffrey to finish off the successful drive. Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy has developed a nice rapport with his star tight end since taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle), as the duo combined for 14 receptions, 241 yards and four touchdowns in the three games Purdy has started. Kittle's late-season surge has coincided with the absence of Deebo Samuel (knee/ankle) -- who has not been ruled out for Week 17 -- so the tight end's recent run of increased usage could take a hit once the latter returns. For now, Kittle remains a strong fantasy play heading into a New Year's Day matchup against the Raiders.
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49ers' George Kittle: Pair of touchdowns in Week 15 win
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Kittle secured four of five targets for 93 yards and two touchdowns in the 49ers' 21-13 win over the Seahawks on Thursday night.
Kittle paced the 49ers' pass-catching corps in receiving yardage and touchdowns, recording 28- and 54-yard scoring grabs in the first and third quarters, respectively. The versatile tight end displayed his athleticism on the second one in particular, eluding several Seahawks defenders on the way to the end zone. Kittle's pair of end-zone trips snapped a three-game touchdown drought and a streak of sub-30-yard tallies of that same length as well. With this breakout effort under his belt, Kittle heads into a Week 16 home matchup versus the Commanders a week from Saturday with plenty of momentum.
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49ers' George Kittle: Limited to 28 yards in win
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Kittle caught four of five targets for 28 yards in Sunday's 35-7 win over the Buccaneers.
Kittle saw some extra usage in rookie Brock Purdy's first career start, but he still finished with less than 30 yards for the fourth time in five games. It has been a rollercoaster ride for the 28-year-old in 2022, but he still owns a respectable 42/500/4 receiving line through 11 starts. While managers may be losing faith in the former fantasy stud, head coach Kyle Shanahan may be forced to draw up more plays for his star tight end down the stretch after Deebo Samuel (ankle) had to be carted off the field Sunday. Kittle will look to get his season back on track against the Seahawks on Thursday.
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49ers' George Kittle: Another down game
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Kittle caught two of three targets for 22 yards in Sunday's 33-17 win over Miami.
Kittle was an afterthought on offense in a game during which the 49ers threw the ball 41 times. The 29-year-old tied fullback Kyle Juszczyk for the second-lowest target total Sunday (three), and the latter even had a red-zone play drawn up for a touchdown to add salt to the fantasy wounds of the tight end's managers. Kittle has finished with less than 30 receiving yards and no scores in five of 10 games in 2022. Kittle should be treated as a boom-or-bust fantasy play in Week 14 with third-string quarterback Brock Purdy under center against the Buccaneers on Sunday.
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49ers' George Kittle: Reverts back to low usage
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Kittle caught three of four targets for 26 yards in Sunday's 13-0 win over New Orleans.
Kittle saw his usage dip back down coming off of his best game of the season against the Cardinals last week (4/84/2). He finished fifth in team targets as head coach Kyle Shanahan struggled to get him the ball, a common trend in an overall down 2022 campaign for the star tight end. Fantasy managers are hoping that Kittle will be more involved in the game plan against a high-octane Dolphins team next Sunday.
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49ers' George Kittle: Scores twice in blowout win
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Kittle recorded four receptions on six targets for 84 yards and two touchdowns in Monday's 38-10 win over the Cardinals.
Kittle turned in long touchdown receptions of 39 and 32 yards to account for the majority of his production. He showcased his athleticism on each occasion, picking up the majority of his yardage after the catch while weaving through Arizona's defense. As a result, he was able to top 50 receiving yards for only the third time this season. While Kittle remains a highly efficient pass catcher, the 49ers have an array of offensive weapons, which limits his volume on a game-to-game basis.
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49ers' George Kittle: Stays hot with another TD
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Kittle had three receptions on five targets for 39 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-14 win over the Rams.
Kittle ran a beautiful route along the back edge of the end zone, and Jimmy Garoppolo connected with his tight end for a score for the second week in a row. The 29-year-old is beginning to heat up after a slow start, averaging 5.5 receptions and 66.8 yards over his last four games. Kittle will look to keep things rolling after the upcoming bye week when the 49ers take on the Chargers on Nov. 13.
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49ers' George Kittle: Posts big line in losing effort
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Kittle caught six of nine targets for 98 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 44-23 loss to the Chiefs.
Kittle went blow-for-blow with Travis Kelce on National Tight End Day in the NFL, finishing with a near identical stat line to his Kansas City counterpart. The former finished with the finer fantasy results, adding a touchdown (his first of the year) with an impressive grab for a score early in the fourth quarter. Head coach Kyle Shanahan appears to finally be scheming Kittle as a receiver with more frequency, resulting in strong results over the last two weeks (14-181-1) after a horrid start to the year. Kittle will look to keep things rolling against the Rams next Sunday.
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49ers' George Kittle: Finally gets heavy usage
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Kittle had eight catches on 10 targets for 83 yards in Sunday's 28-14 loss to the Falcons.
Kittle finally posted a fantasy line better resembling his price tag on draft day, setting new season highs in receptions, targets and yards. Head coach Kyle Shanahan figured out how to get his star tight end involved in the offensive gameplan after averaging just five targets in the three games he was healthy for this season. Kittle still hasn't scored a touchdown, so fantasy managers are hoping that the 28-year-old remains a focal point of the offensive gameplan heading into a matchup against Kansas City next Sunday.
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49ers' George Kittle: TEs to Start
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It's been a frustrating start to the season for Kittle, who has yet to score a touchdown or top 50 receiving yards. He missed the first two games of the year with a groin injury, and he's not producing up to his usual standards. That should change this week against the Falcons. Atlanta is No. 5 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends, and a tight end has scored at least 10 PPR points in every game this season against the Falcons. This will be his breakout game in 2022.
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49ers' George Kittle: Five grabs against Carolina
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Kittle caught five of six targets for 47 yards in Sunday's 37-15 win over the Panthers. He also lost a fumble.
The numbers aren't impressive on the surface, but Kittle led the 49ers in receptions on the afternoon, and he posted his best performance of the year after he missed the first two games with a groin injury. He'll look to keep increasing his production in Week 6 against a Falcons defense that has struggled to contain tight ends so far in 2022.
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49ers' George Kittle: More blocking than catching on MNF
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Kittle caught two of four targets for 24 yards in Monday's 24-9 win over the Rams.
Kittle wasn't targeted in the first half as San Francisco got lengthy touchdowns from Jeff Wilson (32-yard run) and Deebo Samuel (57-yard catch). The standout tight end was more involved after halftime, securing a 20-yard catch and later narrowly missing a short touchdown by failing to get his feet in-bounds. Playing without left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and later losing Williams' replacement Colton McKivitz (knee), the 49ers relied more on Kittle's blocking prowess than his pass-catching ability, and that could wind up being the case again in Week 5 against the Panthers.
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49ers' George Kittle: Nabs four receptions in 2022 debut
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Kittle (groin) hauled in four of five targets for 28 yards in Sunday's 11-10 loss to the Broncos.
Kittle made his much-anticipated return from a groin injury that kept him out of the first two games of the season. The star tight end looked like his old self, throwing his weight around in the run game like the pseudo offensive lineman that he is. The 28-year-old's fantasy line left much to be desired, as head coach Kyle Shanahan inexplicably failed to get his explosive tight end the ball more than four times in a game during which the 49ers showed no life offensively outside of a lone drive in the first quarter. The positive news to take away from a fantasy perspective is that Kittle didn't appear to be limited physically, nor did he suffer a setback. Kittle will look to make his first fantasy splash in a divisional matchup against the Rams on Monday Night Football in Week 4.
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49ers' George Kittle: Cleared for Sunday
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Kittle (groin) has been cleared for Sunday's game against Denver, avoiding a designation on the 49ers' final injury report, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Kittle was close to playing Week 2 against the Seahawks and might have been rushed back had the game been later in the season or against a better team. He'll instead make his 2022 debut in Denver, facing a defense that's yet to go up against a top receiving threat at tight end this year. It'll also be the first start of 2022 for longtime teammate Jimmy Garoppolo, who takes over for Trey Lance after the young QB suffered a season-ending ankle fracture last week.
