Fantasy football managers might need to panic about this 49ers player

The last few weeks haven't been great for this player.

Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

George Kittle has just 75 yards in the three games that he has played since returning from an injury that sidelined him for five games. It has fantasy football managers wondering if the San Francisco 49ers tight end is a sell in fantasy football, or if this three game return is blip on the radar. 

San Francisco 49ers need more production from George Kittle

Dan Graziano of ESPN chimed in and said that this is an overreaction and Kittle is a buy in fantasy football. 

The 49ers' George Kittle isn't a top-five fantasy tight end anymore: OVERREACTION. Kittle's game-by-game point totals in his three games since returning from injury: 0.0, 14.3, 6.9. Yucko. I'm still holding, though. Quarterback Brock Purdy coming back will help, as will the Niners getting healthier at wide receiver and not needing to lean on Kittle as a run blocker quite so much. Buy low!

Dan Graziano

A lot of what Graziano said is fair. It is only a three-game sample with Mac Jones, but Kittle has been better and has been targeted more with Brock Purdy. While it was just 10 routes, Kittle had a 40% target rate with Purdy this season. His career rate is 23.9% with Purdy. With Jones it is just 16.7%

Kittle averages 2.6 yards per route run with Purdy and was at 2.5 in the first game. However, he is down at 1.1 with Jones. While it is a small sample, there is some reasoning here. 

First, they practice together more often. Second, Jones is getting the ball out much quicker and not fitting the ball into as tight of window. So, while Jones is prone to seeing if anything is there and immediately checking the ball down to Christian McCaffrey, Purdy will extend the play, look downfield, and give his tight end chances to make more jump ball catches. 

Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

It does not help that San Francisco played the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants in two of the three games that he was back. These are the two worst rushing defenses that San Francisco has faced all year, so they leaned on Kittle heavily here. In the one game they did not face a weak rushing attack, Kittle caught a touchdown. 

Lastly, if Ricky Pearsall or Brandon Aiyuk could get back soon, it may help. Yes, it is another target, still, right now Kittle is the best option in the offense, and defenses load up on him. This makes the checkdowns to McCaffrey all the more appealing. 

It is not out of line to think that Kittle is going to bounce back. However, if Purdy and the other wide receivers are not back, the offense will not hit its full potential, and that will likely trickle down to Kittle being good and not great in this offense moving forward.