George Kittle listed as questionable for Week 1 against Chiefs

September 9 late update: Kittle didn’t practice all week, but is listed as questionable to face the Bears. All signs point to him not playing, but we won’t know for sure until Monday.

September 9 update: Kittle wasn’t at the start of practice on Friday, per Matt Barrows. It would be surprising if he played on Sunday.

September 8 update: Kittle’s groin injury appears likely to keep him out for Week 1, per Aaron Wilson. Wilson does say Kittle might play through the injury, but we would think the 49ers would want to get him 100% this early in the season.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is currently dealing with a groin injury and was unable to practice on Wednesday, per Cam Inman. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters he had hoped that Kittle would “be good today,” as he did a little work on Monday. He’s calling this injury “day-to-day” and his tight end’s status is up in the air for Sunday.

Fantasy football implications

Kittle’s absence would of course be a blow to the offense and second-year quarterback Trey Lance. Kittle’s injury history hasn’t been great, so he will likely need to be 100 percent before they let him play and groin injuries can reoccur.

Tyler Kroft is currently TE2, but they could mix and match at the position if Kittle can’t play. We would likely see a few more targets for Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. They would be the only two receivers worth starting in your fantasy football contests from the 49ers.