I’m not entirely sure if you’re all aware, but it’s the beginning of July and the fantasy football season is inching closer! It’s time to start that research and get ahead of your leaguemates. Some will say it’s too early to start honing in on the game we love, but it’s never too early if you want a leg up and a better chance at a Championship. Between juggling all the trends, stats and opinions, many factors go into prep for your draft.
But today, I’d like to give some insight on a tight end that I truthfully believe has a legitimate chance of finishing as the overall TE1 in 2025.
George Kittle: A Value That Can Finish As the TE1 Overall
Age Is Just a Number
Everyone in fantasy football is always looking for the shiny new toy or the new hotness. But sometimes it’s ol’ reliable that is the correct answer. At age 31, George Kittle is the ol’ reliable toy I’m referring to here. A lot of folks are salivating over Brock Bowers and Trey McBride this season as their tight end. Honestly, you can’t blame them. Both of them crushed it last season for their fantasy squads. Bowers finished the season out as the TE1 overall and McBride finished as the TE3. It’s hard not to love that from two very young tight ends with bright futures.
But who finished as the TE2? That would be my guy, George Kittle. Clocking in at least six years older than both Bowers and McBride, he’s the one I want in every single league. Let’s get into why.
Who Is Brock Purdy Going To Throw To?
That’s the big question for the San Francisco 49ers this season. Deebo Samuel is off playing in Washington. There’s a very solid chance Brandon Aiyuk ends up on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) List to begin the 2025 season, which would put him out until at least Week 5. We still don’t really know how much they’ll factor in Ricky Pearsall. Jauan Jennings was a huge surprise for the Niners and he’s going to be involved to start, but it’s unclear how consistent he’ll be. It starts to sound like a great situation for Kittle to act as a target vacuum.
Speaking of targets, George Kittle is no slouch in that stat category. Eight seasons in and he has averaged about 92 targets per season; two of those seasons saw him exceed 107 targets, with a season high of 136. With the absence of Samuel and possibly Aiyuk for the start of the season, it’s easy to think it’ll benefit a tight end who gets 90+ targets annually. There is no reason why Purdy won’t hyper-target Kittle in games and we’ve seen it before. Coach Shanahan draws up game plans specifically for a Purdy-to-Kittle connection. There are times when Kittle gets eight-plus targets a game for the actual game plan scheme. With major absences on offense, I can’t imagine Shanahan not making Kittle a focus.
The Numbers Speak the Truth
George Kittle put up some pretty substantial numbers last season in fantasy football. After all, he finished as the TE2 overall, so it’s not too surprising. But it’s been his consistency more than anything that has contributed to his fantasy success. In eight seasons, Kittle has finished as the TE5 or better six times, which is pretty impressive to put up those kinds of numbers year in and year out.
This past season, Kittle finished with 1,106 receiving yards. That was Kittle’s highest total since 2018 and the numbers were good enough to be third overall amongst tight ends. Kittle also tallied up eight receiving touchdowns, the second most for him in a season and the second most among tight ends in 2024. And while his stats are already great, his consistency is key; Kittle had ten weekly finishes within the top five of the position in 2024. That is the most he’s ever had and also ties the record set by Travis Kelce. I understand that Bowers and McBride both put up incredible numbers, but the way Kittle can do this nearly every year is what really has him on my radar.
Red Zone King
One final stat category I really value is how tight ends perform in the red zone. In George Kittle’s case, it’s just as impressive as his numbers above. He reigns supreme inside the 20 and in 2024, George Kittle was targeted on 33% of his routes in the red zone. That’s the most for any tight end in the NFL. Not only that, but the Niner star had 18 receptions inside the 20 last season, which was the fourth-most amongst all pass catchers in the NFL in 2024. Pretty damn impressive. With a guy that gets regularly targeted in the red zone, what’s not to like?
Value at Its Finest
There’s one final but crucial piece of information with this argument. You can lay out numbers all day long. But what it really comes down to in Kittle’s case is his Average Draft Position (ADP). Sure, you can spend up in the second round and get the young, flashy Brock Bowers or Trey McBride. But there are so many other players I want to take in that round and not spend it on a “onesy” position for my fantasy team.
Take all this information that was just laid out and draft George Kittle in the fourth round, which is where his current ADP places him in most drafts. You not only gain more value by drafting other positions in the second and third rounds, but you also get a guy who I believe will finish the season as the TE1 overall at a steeply discounted rate. Not to mention, the San Francisco 49ers have the easiest strength of schedule this season. Coach Shanahan is going to do everything he can to take advantage of that, and targeting their best pass catcher should have a lot to do with it.
Draft George Kittle.
Thanks for reading my reasoning on why George Kittle could be TE1 Overall in the 2025 season! Check out more of our fantasy football and other written content here at In-Between Media, or head over to our YouTube channel to get your fix via video.
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*Photo Credit: Sergio Estrada – USA TODAY Sports*
