George Kittle vs Tyler Higbee: Who Should You Start?
George Kittle and Tyler Higbee are at different tiers heading into 2026. The San Francisco 49ers tight end averaged 12.1 PPG in 2025, a full 6.2 points per game ahead of Tyler Higbee's 5.9 with the Los Angeles Rams. That kind of gap doesn't close on matchup alone.
A 6.2-PPG gap gives George Kittle the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
George Kittle is the volume tight end in this matchup with 57 receptions for 628 yards, while Tyler Higbee profiles as a more touchdown-dependent spike play (3 scores on 25 catches). In weeks where Tyler Higbee finds the end zone he out-scores George Kittle, but the floor gap is real.
George Kittle has his bye in Week 9, and Tyler Higbee rests in Week 6. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at tight end for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
