Road to TE1: George Kittle

In his seventh year as a professional, George Kittle turned back the clock to finish as the fantasy TE2 in standard leagues in 2023. With his strong showing, Kittle will enter 2024 as a top-five option despite his 31st birthday approaching in October.

Kittle's 65 catches were far from the most of his career but the 1,020 yards were the third-most he recorded in a single season. Most impressively, the veteran appeared in all but one game on the year and surpassed teammate Deebo Samuel in targets, receptions and receiving yards.

Though he finished above Samuel in the three major categories, Kittle still ended the year as Brock Purdy's second option behind Brandon Aiyuk. Regardless, he was the only tight end to top 1,000 receiving yards in 2023 to lead the position in that department.

After notching another NFC Championship in 2023, all major pieces of the San Francisco offense are expected to be returning to the team, though Aiyuk's official trade request puts all of the team's skill position players' fantasy value in limbo. Should the star receiver get traded instead of negotiating a contract extension, Kittle would be the top returning receiver.

How George Kittle can become the fantasy TE1 in 2024

In their first full season together, Kittle quickly found a rhythm with Brock Purdy in a way that he seemingly could never develop with Jimmy Garoppolo. His usage was on par with the rest of his career but his 15.7 yards per catch were the most of his career.

If Aiyuk gets traded, Kittle should immediately become Purdy's No. 1 option even with Samuel on the roster. The situation would change if San Francisco gets another elite pass catcher in return but otherwise, no other player on the roster has earned the favor of Purdy more than Kittle aside from Aiyuk.

However, health is the primary concern for Kittle as he ages. During his career, Kittle has been fairly reliable in making it to the field but seems to consistently pop up on the injury report each year and is past his athletic prime at age 30.

The energetic tight end gave managers concern by revealing his further injury struggles during the 2024 offseason, claiming to have lost 30 pounds due to a recent surgery. Kittle has since said he has put the weight back on but the situation is still one worth considering at the beginning of the season.

For Kittle to surpass Sam LaPorta as the overall TE1 in 2024, his six touchdowns will likely need to improve, considering his yard total cannot be expected to be sustained at his age. The entire position lacked in the scoring department in 2023 but Kittle recorded just 13 red zone targets on the year.

As a 30-year-old beginning his eighth season with injury concerns, Kittle topping some of the rising stars of his position as the TE1 does not seem likely but the path will be there for him, particularly if an Aiyuk trade goes through.