As we gear up to the start of the NFL season, Football Absurdity is going to bring you a comprehensive breakdown of every notable player that will be available in fantasy football drafts. We only look at the past three seasons for a player. If you know one thing about George Kittle, it’s that he is one of the best tight ends in the NFL in his three seasons. If you know two things, you know he loves wrestling. So, if you know want to know three or more things about George Kittle, keep reading!
George Kittle ADP and AAV:
Standard: TE2, 18 overall
PPR: TE2, 23 overall
Average Auction Value: $32
George Kittle Statistics:
| Year | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| G | 14 | 16 | 15 |
| GS | 14 | 16 | 7 |
| Tgt | 107 | 136 | 63 |
| Rec | 85 | 88 | 43 |
| Yards | 1053 | 1377 | 515 |
| TD | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Tgt/G | 7.6 | 8.5 | 4.2 |
| Rec/G | 6.07 | 5.50 | 2.87 |
| Rec% | 75.2 | 86.1 | 34.3 |
| Yds/Tgt | 9.84 | 10.13 | 8.17 |
| Yds/Rec | 9.841 | 10.125 | 8.175 |
| Year | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Std Pts | 137.5 | 170.7 | 63.5 |
| HPPR Pts | 221 | 236.2 | 105.5 |
| PPR Pts | 222.5 | 258.7 | 106.5 |
| Pts/G | 9.2 | 10.7 | 4.5 |
| HPPR Pts/G | 14.7 | 14.8 | 7.5 |
| PPR Pts/G | 14.8 | 16.2 | 7.6 |
| Pts/Tgt | 1.29 | 1.26 | 1.01 |
| Pts/Tgt (HPPR) | 2.07 | 1.74 | 1.67 |
| Pts/Tgt (HPPR) | 2.08 | 1.90 | 1.69 |
| Year | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Air Yards | 678 | 960 | 456 |
| aDOT | 6.3 | 7.1 | 7.2 |
| YAC | 602 | 873 | 271 |
| YAC/Tgt | 5.63 | 6.47 | 4.30 |
| YAC/Rec | 7.08 | 9.92 | 6.30 |
| YAC% | 57.2% | 63.4% | 52.6% |
| AYMS | 26% | 26% | 10% |
| Tgt MS | 28% | 26% | 11% |
George Kittle Overview:
George Kittle spent 2019 cementing himself as one of the best tight ends in the entire league and set the 49ers up to give him a massive payday sometime before September 2021. He missed two games with a lower leg injury, but quipped, “that’s football” when asked if it was still hurting him after the fact. The 49ers turned in the second-most prolific scoring offense in the league, but Kittle was limited to just five touchdowns. Despite the low touchdown totals, Kittle was still prolific. He joined Travis Kelce as the only tight ends to top 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons en route to a top-three season in all formats.
The 49ers offense cleared out space for Kittle to operate, allowing Emmanuel Sanders to leave for New Orleans, and trading Marquise Goodwin to the Eagles, replacing both with Brandon Aiyuk. The emergence of Deebo Samuel might limit Kittle’s upside, but a positive touchdown correction will more than undo any target regression that might come Kittle’s way. He’s a slam dunk, he’s a stud, he’s one of the best young players in the league. You don’t have to overthink this one.
George Kittle Draft Strategy:
George Kittle Auction Value: $34
Draft Ranking: Find out for your league settings in a Beersheet! (coming late June)
George Kittle is the Cadillac of tight ends. He’s young, in a powerful offense, and has nowhere to go but up. We don’t recommend paying up for tight end, as the position is mostly fungible, but if you make space in your draft strategy or auction budget, then Kittle is on the shortlist of guys who are worth your time there. There isn’t much risk with Kittle, except his playstyle potentially leading to injuries. However, he’s shown a predilection towards playing through injuries, so that risk is mitigated.
Best Case Scenario:
George Kittle returns on your investment in him with positive touchdown correction and turns in a 10 TD season. The 49ers offense is potent enough that this is possible, but unlikely. Either way, he turns in the third-straight 1,000-yard season for him at tight end and you get a good return on investment with Kittle.
Worst Case Scenario:
The WWE, with their roster wiped out by their insistence that they play through the coronavirus, turns to George Kittle. Gronk’s sudden retirement left a hole in their storyline, and they fill it with another NFL tight end. Kittle trades long drives for piledrivers.
[Photo Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefon_Diggs#/media/File:Stefon_Diggs_(26600152089).jpg under cc-2.0]
[Statistics are sourced from pro-football-reference.com and airyards.com]
