With fewer premium options available, tight end is more interesting in fantasy football this season, and you will likely see them coming off draft boards earlier than in years past. To stay competitive at that position, you may be looking to take a tight end as early as Round 5 or 6. In that instance, you will likely have two strong choices: George Kittle or Evan Engram. But which option is stronger?
Let's break it down.
Offense
George Kittle has been a key part of Kyle Shanhan's successful offense, which now looks to have a franchise quarterback in Brock Purdy. Kittle has spent his entire career with the 49ers. In those seven seasons, the Niners have made it to the postseason twice, with two Super Bowl appearances.
The Niners passed for the fourth-most yards in 2023, averaging 258 passing yards per game. Despite their focus on superstar runner Christian McCaffrey, the Niners also passed for the second-most touchdowns (33), behind only the Dallas Cowboys (36). They averaged a league-leading 13.6 yards per completion, no small part of which is due to Kittle's big play ability. More on that later.
Kittle finished as the TE5 in 2023 and led the position with 1,020 receiving yards despite the talented wide receiver room in San Francisco.
The Jaguars offense did not live up to fan expectations in 2023. Despite passing for 243 yards per game (9th), the Jags recorded only 22 passing touchdowns. The Jags were often in negative game scripts, and they paid off for those who rostered Evan Engram.
No tight end saw more targets than Engram in 2023. He tallied 143 for the season for an average of 8.3 per game. Engram finished as the TE2 in PPR leagues in 2023.
QB Trevor Lawrence was injured for the last six games of the season, so there should be some improvement with a healthy Lawrence, though the Jags let Calvin Ridley walk in free agency. That should mean Engram remains an essential weapon for their young quarterback.
Edge: Kittle
Quarterback
Ok, enough of the Purdy slander. Does it matter if it's "the system" if your QB puts up these kinds of stats?
Purdy's 113 passer rating was the best among qualified starters in 2023, and his 69.4% completion rate was second only to Dak Prescott. Purdy's 9.6 yards per pass attempt and 13.9 yards per completion also led the NFL.
Oh, and did I mention they made it to the Super Bowl?
Lawrence was one of the most anticipated draft prospects in years, going first overall to the Jaguars in 2021. After a bumpy freshman season, Lawrence made strides in his sophomore season, and many expected the breakout to come in 2023 with the addition of Calvin Ridley.
That breakout never materialized. Much of that can be attributed to Lawrence playing with an injured ankle for the last few games of the season, but it's hard to deny that "Mr. Irrelevant," Brock Purdy, has had better results in the NFL than the former number one overall draft pick.
Edge: Kittle
Skills
Kittle has been a consistent fantasy football tight end overall, tallying 200+ PPR points in five of his seven NFL seasons. However, he is volatile on a weekly basis, partially due to the talented surrounding cast in San Francisco. What Kittle can provide, however, is enormous boom weeks.
Kittle's 15.7 yards per catch led all tight ends with a minimum of 22 targets. Kittle's 90 targets were the second-most among 49ers, and, as mentioned above, he led all NFL tight ends with 1,020 receiving yards. He was the only tight end to reach the century mark.
Kittle's big play and yards-after-catch ability make up for the fact that he averaged about 5.5 targets per game in 2023 (14th). Kittle also caught six touchdown passes.
Engram is a talented pass-catcher we all wanted to see anywhere but New York. After joining the Jaguars in 2022, Engram finally got the chance to flash. Engram saw 98 targets in 2022; last season, those increased to a league-leading 143. For reference, that was more targets than Chris Olave, Mike Evans, and teammate Calvin Ridley.
Now Ridley is out of the picture, but we should have a healthy Christian Kirk. Any way you look at it, Engram should still be in line for triple-digit targets. In contrast to Kittle, Engram only averaged 8.4 yards per reception, but he caught 114 passes as compared to Kittle's 65. Engram also caught two fewer touchdown passes. However, in a PPR league, those catches added up, and Engram ended up on top.
Engram had a reputation for dropping passes in the past, but he had a team-best 79.7% catch rate in 2023. It's worth noting that Engram has never had a season with more than four touchdowns.
Edge: Kittle
Durability
Engram was not known for his durability in the early years of his career. However, Engram has played all 17 games in both seasons since arriving in Jacksonville. Engram is 29 years old and entering his eighth NFL season.
Engram ran a route 69.2% of the time last season, leading the position with 606 routes, and he blocked only 7.4% of the time.
Kittle is a tough player who will often play through injury. He had core surgery in the offseason, and at age 31, he is heading into his eighth NFL season.
Kittle ran a route 47.7% of the time, for a total of 409, and he blocked 9% of the time.
Kittle's physical play style and off-season core muscle surgery are of some concern.
Edge: Engram
Betting Insights
Caesars Sportsbook has Engram's receiving yards set at 725.5.
His touchdown prop is set at 3.5.
Caesars has Kittle's receiving yards set at 750.5 and his touchdown prop at 5.5.
Unfortunately, there are no reception prop markets available for either tight end.
Slight Edge: Kittle
Strength of Schedule
Kittle's schedule is among the easiest for tight ends this season. They have two games against the Rams and play the Lions, Jets, and Dolphins—all of whom have been favorable matchups for the position.
Engram's schedule is more difficult, though they see Houston twice as well as the Lions.
Edge: Kittle
And the Pick Is…
Engram.
Why? It comes down to volume. Engram will be peppered with targets with little competition. In PPR leagues, that will add up. He's also two years younger than Kittle, didn't have off-season surgery, and will offer you a solid floor weekly. Engram is also going a little later than Kittle, so you may be able to hold off as much as an extra round.
For those in standard leagues, Kittle is the pick. He will make big plays and pop off for big weeks, and he will likely score more touchdowns. Engram is most viable with the catch premium PPR leagues.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fantasy Football Rankings: George Kittle vs. Evan Engram .
