George Kittle or Darren Waller: Who should I start in fantasy football Week 1?

George Kittle and Darren Waller had contrasting story arcs last year. Kittle played 15 games in 2022, the most he’s had over the previous three seasons. In effect, he had a career-high 11 touchdown catches from 60 receptions for 765 yards.

Conversely, Waller was on a downward spiral after playing in only nine games. His production dropped from 665 yards in 2021 to 388 in 2022.

But as another season starts, both tight ends could become solid contributors in fantasy football. However, one of them has a slight edge in Week 1.

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Is George Kittle a good fantasy pick?

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan primarily uses George Kittle as a blocking tight end to establish their zone-run scheme. However, he will still get opportunities to field the ball, especially if the opposing defense has been tricked into deploying formations to stop the rushing attack.

Kittle is still a good fantasy pick, even if he averaged 51 yards per game last season, his lowest since 2017. After all, he still collects 13.3 yards per reception throughout his career. However, several factors might affect his performance.

First, having Brock Purdy on the field improves Kittle’s chances of delivering fantasy points. However, it remains to be seen if Purdy can complete a regular season without injuries.

Second, Kittle must share receptions with Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel. McCaffrey will play a more significant role in the offense during his first full regular season with the Niners.

Third, Kittle has had an extensive injury history. He only had one injury-free regular season and played eight games in 2020 due to a broken bone in his foot.

A year later, a calf injury forced him to miss two games. He missed the first two weeks of 2022 due to a groin injury.

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Is Darren Waller a good fantasy pick?

Darren Waller played five seasons for the Las Vegas Raiders before getting traded to the New York Giants.

Like George Kittle, Darren Waller has had an extensive injury history over the last two years. He missed five games in 2021 due to a knee injury. Last season, he suited up in only nine games because of hamstring issues.

Still, he is an excellent pick because Waller gets a reset after the Las Vegas Raiders traded him to the New York Giants.

While Saquon Barkley will be the focal point of the Giants’ offense, Waller could be the team’s leading receiver because of their shallow wideout depth.

With Richie James gone, the Giants have Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, and Parris Campbell as projected starters. Slayton had 724 yards last season, while Hodgins finished with 351.

The lack of a legitimate deep threat will make Daniel Jones turn to Waller more, especially when the tight end gets free during play action.

Fantasy football websites project that Waller will finish with 785 to 830 receiving yards and five to seven touchdowns in the 2023 regular season. Those numbers are better than his production over the last two seasons.

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George Kittle vs. Darren Waller: Who Should I Start for 2023 Week 1?

Fantasy football projections for George Kittle and Darren Waller for Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season.

Per Sportskeeda’s Start/Sit Optimizer, Darren Waller is a better fantasy football option than George Kittle in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season. However, the discrepancy isn’t that far because Waller is projected to deliver 11 fantasy points while Kittle isn’t far behind at 10.1.

Waller and the Giants will face the Dallas Cowboys in their season opener. That’s a tough matchup because the Cowboys finished eighth in passing yards allowed per game last season.

But Waller will get his opportunities, given New York’s questionable wide receiver pool.

Likewise, it’s uncertain if George Kittle will suit up in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Reports have surfaced that he missed their first official regular season practice due to a recurring groin injury.

That update led San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch to report that Kittle might sit out the season opener.