The last thing you want going into a fantasy football championship is to have a key player like San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle questionable to play for a Sunday night game.
That's because if you wait for Kittle and he gets ruled out, your options to replace the star tight end dwindle down to a select few, and typically those options aren't good.
Kittle suffered an ankle injury last week and did not practice at all before drawing the questionable tag for Monday night. While his lack of a practice is concerning, Kittle is the type of player who can take the field without practicing all week.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Kittle is a true game-time decision and will test out his ankle pre-game before the team makes a decision, so that keeps hope alive.
But we also know that the Niners elevated a tight end from the practice squad for the contest against the Chicago Bears, which means, at the very least, San Francisco is concerned Kittle won't play.
Is George Kittle worth waiting for?
Yes, he is.
Kittle ranks as TE2 overall in fantasy points per game this season, which makes him a locked-in starter in all formats, regardless of matchup and situation.
The only way you wouldn't wait on Kittle is if you have another very good tight end option on your roster.
That said, you don't want to be left out in the cold with no tight end options if you wait and Kittle is ruled out.
Here are four options that could be available on the waiver wire that would at least give you a security blanket in the event Kittle is inactive.
Last-minute George Kittle replacements
49ers TE Jake Tonges
Tonges would step into a starting role if Kittle is ruled out, and he is no slouch as a pass-catcher.
Tonges has three games with four or more catches, including contests with six and seven grabs. He has also tallied 41 yards or more three times and has scored four touchdowns this season.
Chicago is ceding the 14th-most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season, so the matchup is fairly positive, too.
Bears TEs Cole Kmet or Colston Loveland
Kmet will definitely be available on the waiver wire, but Loveland might not be depending on the size of your league.
Kmet was an elite fantasy tight end in 2023, but he has seen a significant decline in production since Caleb Williams took the reins of the offense in 2024.
This season, Kmet has only found the end zone twice and has posted five games with 31 yards or more.
Loveland has come on strong in the second half of the campaign and ranks as TE22 overall in fantasy points per game, which is 18 spots higher than Kmet, making the rookie a better starting option than the veteran.
While Kmet is the less desirable option among the two Bears tight ends, he is better than nothing in your tight end spot.
Rams TE Colby Parkinson
Parkinson's availability on the waiver wire will likely depend on the size of your league, as he's unlikely to be available in larger ones.
However, there is a chance Parkinson can be had in bigger leagues after he posted a dud in Week 16.
Parkinson is attractive because he was on fire before his disappointing showing last week. The Rams tight end ranked as TE6 overall from Weeks 10-16.
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