George Kittle DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle will face the Los Angeles Rams at home in a Week 15 divisional matchup on Thursday night. Last week, Kittle rebounded from his worst performance of the season -; a one-catch night in Buffalo -; to a six-reception, 151-yard game at home in Week 14 versus Chicago. The gregarious University of Iowa product is having one of the best years of his career in 2024, ranking just behind Las Vegas rookie Brock Bowers in total fantasy points despite missing two games. Kittle has done a lot this year to shake his boom/bust reputation, as he's only failed to reach 10 half-PPR points twice this season. The Rams' pass defense hasn't been good overall, which holds true when isolating the tight end position. They have been the 12th-easiest matchup in the NFL to opposing tight ends despite not having to face Kittle in Week 3 when he was out with injury. Fantasy managers should lock Kittle into their lineups for the duration of the fantasy playoffs. In Week 15, he's a top-2 option.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle resumed his excellent season during a 38-13 home victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. A week after posting his worst fantasy game of the year, Kittle caught all six of his targets for a team-leading 151 yards receiving. Most of Kittle's fantasy value this year has lied in his ability to consistently generate touchdowns, but Kittle was plenty valuable on Sunday despite not finding the end zone. During the first half in particular, it seemed that the Bears' defense had no answer to Kittle as he ripped off large chunks of yardage. With the fantasy playoffs starting next week in most leagues, Kittle managers should be feeling pretty good about having Kittle on their side. He'll get the Los Angeles Rams at home in Week 15 as a no-brainer start.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has a Week 14 matchup on Sunday in Santa Clara versus the Chicago Bears. The perpetually positive 31-year-old disappointed last week in snowy Buffalo with one catch on two targets for seven yards. Fantasy managers should forgive him though, as it was the only time since Week 1 that Kittle came in under projections. Even with the dud, Kittle still is leading all tight ends in fantasy points per game (13.8) in Yahoo default scoring. The matchup is neutral, as Chicago is at the exact median in fantasy points allowed to tight ends. The 49ers are reeling with injuries at the moment, with backups being called for duty in the backfield, out wide, and on the left side of the offensive line. None of these would be cause for concern for Kittle in isolation, but San Francisco's demonstrated lack of offensive efficiency recently -- 15 points per game over its last four -- takes some steam out of Kittle's outlook. Consider him a borderline top-5 option in Week 14.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle nearly ghosted fantasy managers in a 35-10 loss to the Bills in a snowy Orchard Park on Sunday night. The leader in half-PPR points per game at tight end had his worst game of the season, finishing with one reception on two targets for seven yards. Kittle's feeble output probably has little to do with Kittle himself, as the entire 49ers offense was behind the eight-ball from the start. The snow, the offensive line injuries, and running back Christian McCaffrey leaving early were never likely to lead to great offensive numbers for any 49ers. There is not a lot to be done from a fantasy perspective besides flush this one. Kittle will get the Chicago Bears in a neutral matchup at home in Week 14, where he'll once again be a must-start.

If the San Francisco 49ers plan to knock off the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park on Sunday night, the team will likely need tight end George Kittle to continue his run of production. In each game he's played since a disappointing Week 1, Kittle has outperformed half-PPR projections, culminating in last week's six-target, six reception, 90-yard, one-touchdown game in Green Bay. After spending all of 2023 as the epitome of a boom/bust fantasy asset, this season Kittle has flipped the script and become the 49ers' steadiest offensive producer. The Bills are the 13th-best in the league at limiting fantasy tight end half-PPR points per game. With starting quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder) on the good side of questionable, San Francisco's offense still has an uphill battle as they'll be missing All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) for the second-straight game and left guard Aaron Banks (concussion). A loud, cold, and maybe snowy environment will also make things tougher offensively. Kittle should considered a mid-high TE1 in Week 13, and a must-start even if Purdy can't go.