With the fantasy football championship week here, some massive decisions need to be made. There are plenty of tough choices to make, but none might be more difficult than the one with San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle.
The 49ers TE is banged up with an ankle injury heading into Week 17, and according to Cam Inman of CBS-5, John Lynch on KNBR revealed Kittle is a game-time decision.
That wouldn't be a huge issue if it weren't for the 49ers game against the Chicago Bears being on Sunday Night Football. With limited backup plans available, fantasy managers with Kittle need to make sure they have options if he is ruled out right before game time.
Fantasy advice for George Kittle managers amid 49ers-Bears SNF matchup
There are a few clear options for fantasy managers to take. Most fantasy managers will be hoping Kittle is healthy and will leave him in lineups until Sunday night.
If Kittle is active, then he's a must-start. Even with an ankle injury, with this 49ers-Bears matchup being such a big one, Kittle might play through injury and be heavily involved, even coming into this game as a game-time decision.
But if Kittle were to be ruled out, then there are a few pivot options for fantasy managers. The most obvious is Jake Tonges, the 49ers backup tight end to Kittle.
While Kittle was out, from partway through Week 1 until Week 7, Tonges was a quality option. He put up Full PPR scores of 10.5, 7.1, 4.1, 14.8, 17.1, and 11.8 with Kittle out.
In the weeks since, he's recorded just two catches for nine total yards and one touchdown. He's second-fiddle to Kittle, but if the superstar TE is out, then Tonges is a quality option. He's also the most available alternative, as the other starting TE's are likely rostered.
The other options on Sunday and Monday Night Football are Chicago Bears' Coleston Loveland, Atlanta Falcons Kyle Pitts, and Los Angeles Rams tight ends Colby Parkinson and Terrance Ferguson.
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Pitts and Loveland are both likely rostered already, but if they're backups for Kittle, then they are solid options this week. Pitts might even be worth starting over Kittle, regardless.
Parkinson and Ferguson are likely available. While someone might've added Parkinson last week, his 4.1 performance could have him back on waivers.
Parkinson is a much safer option than Ferguson, as the Rams' rookie TE has only nine receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns this season.
Kittle fantasy managers, if they have one of Loveland, Pitts, or Tonges, then they should be okay taking the risk of leaving Kittle in their starting lineup for Week 17.
But if those options aren't available, then fantasy managers should consider benching Kittle depending on the injury updates that come out before Week 17's slate of Sunday games.
Kittle is too good to bench, but fantasy managers need alternative plans, especially in the championship round. There is no more difficult decision this week than Kittle's for fantasy managers, as his game-time status makes this choice a tricky one in Week 17.
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