Start George Kittle In Fantasy Football Championships: Our Updated Rankings & Advice

George Kittle fantasy football managers received an early gift when 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that the tight end would be active on Saturday.

It didn’t take much convincing, according to Kittle.

“He asked me if I wanted to play,” Kittle told reporters, “and I said, ‘Hell, yes.’ And he said, ‘Sounds good.’”

Is that enough convincing to start him in your fantasy football championship or Saturday DFS lineup?

Kittle has played in six games this season, most recently dealing with a broken bone in his foot. He’s caught 37 passes for 474 yards with two touchdowns, including two games topping 100 yards.

He’ll join an offense missing its top two quarterbacks in Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Mullens. Running back Raheem Mostert and wide receiver Deebo Samuel are also out.

While Shanahan said Kittle will be one of the healthiest players the team has on Saturday, he won’t be at 100% and will see the field on a pitch count per Shanahan. Our experts weigh in on how that should inform your lineup decisions.

Start George Kittle in Fantasy Football Championships?

Sean Koerner: There is nothing more frustrating than projecting a player who is on “a pitch count.”

I was already projecting Kittle to play in a limited role. However, I’ll be updating his projection as we get more information. I would hold off on making any sit/start decisions until lineups lock for that game Saturday afternoon.

Even if he is “limited” to passing downs or red-zone packages, he would put up top-five value, and I anticipate I’ll be ranking him somewhere between TE4-TE10.