San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (hamstring) has been a stalwart of fantasy tight end production, consistently providing top-5 finishes at the position in PPR scoring formats. In fact, Kittle finished top-5 every season of his career where he played 14 or more games.
Fantasy managers have always counted on Kittle to provide high upside, and he's always delivered. Kittle didn't appear on Wednesday's injury report, but suddenly missed Thursday's practice and is now on the report with a hamstring injury.
Is George Kittle injured? Will he play in Sunday's contest against the Los Angeles Rams? Let's dive in.
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Will George Kittle Play In Week 3?
Kittle is the latest in a long line of NFL starters to be struck with the hamstring bug. One of the most insidious injuries in football, hamstring ailments often linger for weeks, months, and even entire careers. Running back Aaron Jones famously suffered from recurring hamstring issues for most of 2023.
🚨MAJOR 49ers Injury News🚨
George Kittle is unlikely to play against the Rams on Sunday, per Adam Schefter due to hamstring tightness and Charvarius Ward also missed practice with a knee / hamstring issue.
San Francisco is really banged up on the offensive side of the… pic.twitter.com/1IFQX7sAli
— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) September 19, 2024
Multiple sources, including Adam Schefter, have stated that Kittle is unlikely to play with the Rams. It's too early to know if he'll experience an extended absence, but Kittle's fantasy managers need to prepare as soon as possible for a backup plan at tight end.
While Kittle's production is impossible to replace, there's a chance that managers could find a decent fill-in from waivers, and the best time to start looking is now.
Kittle was removed from the game in Sunday's loss to the Vikings with cramping issues, but returned to the game and finished. It's unknown whether this cramping was related to his current hamstring issue. Managers should still stay updated on his status for Friday's practice in case he recovers quickly.
UPDATE: Kittle is now listed as Doubtful. He is unlikely to play.
George Kittle Week 3 Fantasy Football Outlook
Kittle is an auto-start in all leagues. Few other tight ends have had the consistency and longevity Kittle boasts, and only Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (26.10 PPR points in Week 1) has a game with more points than Kittle's Week 2 (20.60 PPR points). Kittle is a rare tight end that's capable of swinging games on his own.
WHAT A PLAY BY GEORGE KITTLE FOR THE TOUCHDOWN 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/GXXyfOTFnp
— Last Take™ (@TheRealLastTake) September 15, 2024
Kittle has shown no signs of slowing down at the age of 30, and can still be counted on for elite production when healthy. "When healthy" is now the most important part of the conversation, though, and it's not looking like that will happen this Sunday.
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