Game status: The 49ers have made George Kittle inactive for Week 11 vs. the Seahawks.
Game day update: George Kittle is unlikely to play on Sunday due to a hamstring injury, per Adam Schefter.
Who should I grab off waivers if George Kittle isn’t available in fantasy football?
Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith is the highest projected Week 11 performer at Yahoo! that is rostered on fewer than 50% of fantasy football teams (48%). He is playing at home against the Raiders. Patriots tight end Hunter Henry follows with a home matchup against the Rams (41%). Chargers tight end Will Dissly is the most likely to be available, appearing on only 16% of rosters for his Bengals matchup.
The San Francisco 49ers have had a slow start to their 2024 season, but they seem to be getting healthier just in time to make a run over the second half of the year. Last week, they had Christian McCaffrey available for the first time which helped provide a much needed boost to the offense. On Sunday, the 49ers will have an important NFC West division matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
Earlier this season, the 49ers beat the Seahawks 36-24 with tight end George Kittle scoring two touchdowns. Kittle is dealing with a hamstring injury this week and the 49ers will hope to have their tight end available.
George Kittle Injury Status
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, 49ers tight end George Kittle will be questionable for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks with a hamstring injury. Kittle did not practice on Wednesday, but was limited on Thursday and Friday.
The 49ers tight end has seemingly been dealing with injuries all year. Earlier this season he had foot and rib injuries that held him out of practice. He also had a hamstring injury back in Week 3 that forced him to miss the game. However, Kittle was listed as doubtful in that game and didn’t practice all week. The fact that Kittle did practice and is listed as questionable should be seen as a positive for his game status.
Kittle will be a player to monitor on Sunday before they play the Seahawks in the later afternoon slate of games at 4:05 p.m. ET.
What George Kittle injury means for fantasy football
George Kittle has typically been seen as one of the tougher players in the NFL when it comes to injuries. However, hamstring injuries can be difficult to navigate and even if he does play, he may not be 100 percent.
Still, the 49ers remain one of the more talented offenses in the NFL even without Kittle. Christian McCaffrey made his debut last week and had 107 total yards receiving and rushing. Ricky Pearsall scored his first career touchdown last week and Jauan Jennings remains a steady piece in the offense along with Deebo Samuel.
Again, if Kittle plays, it’s hard to say how effective he’ll be with an injured hamstring. Last time these two teams played, Kittle had two touchdowns in the red zone.
In the case that Kittle is unable to go, it should be expected that a player like Jennings or Pearsall benefits. The 49ers don’t have a reliable receiving option at tight end behind Kittle, meaning that a player like Pearsall who runs over 30 percent of his routes from the slot could end up being the beneficiary. Pearsall has back to back games with 10 or more PPR points and was the WR13 in last week’s win. The rookie wide receiver appears to be on the rise in the 49ers offense.