Fantasy Football Impact of George Kittle, Jauan Jennings Injuries

While the San Francisco 49ers picked up a victory in Seattle in Week 1, they also came away from the game weaker than when they started it. Already without Brandon Aiyuk (recovering from a torn ACL), Deebo Samuel Sr. (traded to Washington), and Demarcus Robinson (suspended for three games), San Fran lost both tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Jauan Jennings during the game.

That leaves the pass-catching corps perilously thin, but it also gives other players a chance to put up numbers in what was still an above-average passing game in Week 1. Brock Purdy was 26/35 for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions; that's not fantastic, but his 7.9 yards per attempt were well above average, and Kittle left the game in the second quarter, meaning much of the damage was done without him.

The injuries do bring questions as to who will benefit from a fantasy perspective. Kittle's replacements already made an impact, while the 49ers made a signing in free agency to help mitigate the effects of Jennings' potential absence.

Let's look at each player's individual injury and who might step into the San Francisco lineup. We'll try to get a feel for when the injured will be back, but this is more about the other guys who are still left standing.

Keep up with every injury that takes place throughout the season using the FantasySP injury tracker.

Kittle Out Multiple Weeks

This is the biggest loss for the team. With all due respect to Jennings, Kittle was the WR1 without Aiyuk and Samuel, the guys who have filled that role for the past half-decade. Kittle going down puts as much stress on the team as any other offensive player outside of Christian McCaffrey.

Early reports say that the tight end will miss 3-5 weeks and that IR “is a possibility.” To lose Kittle for an entire month is a huge blow for a team still trying to find their identity after a lot of roster turnover. The few stars were supposed to be the guys who hold it all together; now, one of the strongest parts of that core is out.

The next guys on the depth chart are fifth-year veteran Luke Farrell and fourth-year undrafted player Jake Tonges. Tonges has barely been on the field, not catching a pass in the four games in which he appeared prior to 2025. He also made the play of the day for the 49ers, stealing away what could have been an interception and instead scoring the go-ahead touchdown for San Fran with 1:34 left in the game.

Farrell played four seasons for Jacksonville and barely made a dent in the box score, topping out at 17 targets, 13 receptions, and 155 yards in any season. He never scored a touchdown. He was playing behind Evan Engram, but Farrell was anonymous with the Jaguars.

Farrell played 44 snaps in Week 1 and Tonges only 30, but Tonges caught all three of his targets for 15 yards and that touchdown, while Farrell received only one target (which he caught for four yards).

The most likely outcome is that neither guy is a fantasy impact player and that the best strategy is to not pick up either to fill the void of Kittle. If you were going to grab someone, though, I would take a shot at Tonges, expecting that maybe he has a little more receiving chops. At least Tonges wasn't on the field when he didn't contribute; Farrell was active and just couldn't make it happen.

Advice: Don't pick up either Tonges or Farrell unless we see one of them have a big performance first. If you are desperate and want to grab one guy, Tonges probably has a bigger upside.

Jennings Questionable

Jennings' status is still up in the air. He left the game in the fourth quarter, making it through most of the contest, so his injury could be more minor. We'll find out more later this week. If he is healthy and playing, Jennings is a WR2/3 type who has upside given the offense he is in and the lack of top-end receivers around him.

The 49ers made a move that could point toward their own uncertainty when they signed former New England receiver Kendrick Bourne on Monday. The team was already short at wide receiver, so even if Jennings can play next week, this move will add more depth to the unit. Ricky Pearsall caught four passes for 108 yards in Week 1, and Jennings had two for 16, but no other wide receiver caught a pass.

Russell Gage Jr. played 28 snaps and Marquez Valdes-Scantling 27, but neither saw a target. Let's not even get into Skyy Moore, who played three snaps of his own. When Robinson returns, he will likely have an immediate role, but that doesn't help us for a few more weeks.

Pearsall is a WR2/3 whether Jennings plays or not, and he's a must-start player if Jennings is out. I'm not ready to count on any of the other receivers unless they come out and have a big game that makes us take notice. The one unknown is Bourne.

Being that he just joined the team after spending the preseason with New England, it's unlikely that Bourne will be able to step right in to make a big impact. He played four seasons with the 49ers after entering the league as an undrafted free agent, but he was then with the Patriots for four seasons, so it's not like he's just coming back home after a short absence. Like the other receivers lower on the depth chart, I'm staying away from Bourne until he shows something.

Advice: Monitor Jennings' status, as it directly affects Pearsall, but don't trust the receivers lower on the depth chart unless you're in a deep league or they show something big. Bourne might be the best pick-up of the group simply because of the intrigue.

Conclusion

San Francisco has plenty of targets available with Kittle out, and it would be even worse if Jennings misses a few weeks also. I don't feel good about any of the players lower on the depth chart stepping in and making real fantasy impacts, though, meaning that the most likely fantasy boosts might come to the guys already in the rotation.

Pearsall was a first-round pick last year and should be expected to operate as the top man, and McCaffrey will always command targets when on the field; he caught nine of his 10 targets for 73 yards in Week 1. Don't run out and expect the other guys to step up, though, and instead wait for Jennings, Robinson, and even Aiyuk (eventually) to be fantasy relevant.