GeorgeKittle

News: 4 days agoKittle (Achilles) was activated from the active/PUP list Sunday.

Spin: Kittle has been ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn Achilles that he suffered in January. His activation from the PUP list clears Kittle to participate in training camp practice, though he'll likely have his workload managed and be held out of Thursday's preseason finale against the Raiders. All signs are pointing to the veteran tight end having a chance to be available for the 49ers' regular-season opener against the Rams on Thursday, Sept. 10, with more context on that front slated to arrive in the coming days. In any case, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com suggests that Sunday's move is a sign that the team is confident that Kittle will be back before Week 5.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Kittle is undoubtedly among the best tight ends in the NFL and fantasy, but he simply can't dodge the injury bug. The 2017 fifth-round pick has played one full season (2018) and tore an Achilles in the team's wild-card victory after missing six regular-season games last season. Kittle could miss a few games to open the season and, now at 32 years old, might not be his usual, dominant self even when he returns. Kittle has finished sixth or better in fantasy PPG in each of the past eight seasons (including first in 2024), so he's worth a late-round flier, especially if you have an available IR slot.