Fantasy football: 3 reasons not to draft 49ers TE George Kittle in 2019
By Chris Wilson
Kittle’s Average Draft Position
Unfortunately, the secret is out. Kittle was a league-winning tight end in 2018 because he was a 12th-round asset, meaning that in your average 12-team fantasy football draft, most owners drafted a defense while Kittle was still on the board.
Kittle no longer comes at the extreme discount he did last season. As opposed to a late-round flier, adding the star tight end to your fantasy football roster will cost you at least an early third-round draft pick in 2019, and his draft stock is only rising:
If you select Kittle at his current average draft position (ADP), you will likely miss out on No. 1 wide receivers like Keenan Allen and A.J. Green. If you pass up Leonard Fournette and Devonta Freeman for a tight end, you’ll be stuck with the unpleasant choice of Kenyan Drake or one of the two Chicago Bears running backs.
Many experts rank Kittle even higher than his current ADP. Fantasy Pro’s consensus rankings place Kittle firmly in the second round of drafts in half-point-per-reception (Half-PPR) leagues. Given the availability of viable waiver-wire options at “onesie” positions like tight end, the opportunity costs associated with spending a second-round pick are too high.
Given the injury history of a wide receiver like Allen, I wouldn’t classify the wideout as a “safe pick.” Still, drafting a top-tier tight end like Kittle over a player who should finish as a WR1 — provided he stays healthy — is a risk I’m not willing to take.