Kittle Lost, CMC Carries: Fantasy Football Fallout from 49ers’ Tight End Injury

The San Francisco 49ers earned a road playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, but it came with a cost. Star tight end George Kittle went down with an injury and he's been lost for the season.

Let's discuss what the injury means for the Niners, and how the offense might look the rest of the postseason. We will discuss the real-world and fantasy football implications.

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Kittle's Injury/Impact

Kittle caught a six-yard pass in the second quarter of Sunday's game before crumpling to the ground as Philadelphia's Marcus Epps tackled him.

He was diagnosed with a torn Achilles, which ends his season, and maybe keeps him out all of next season too. We do know he won't play again this postseason, which is a devastating blow to a Niners' team already decimated by injuries.

Kittle battled injuries all season, but still produced 628 receiving yards and seven touchdowns over 11 regular season games. He was second on the team with 57.1 yards per game.

Replacing Kittle

Kittle only played 13 offensive snaps before leaving with the injury. The Niners got 59 total snaps in the contest.

It was Demarcus Robinson who helped fill the void on Sunday, catching six of his seven targets for 111 yards and a score. Running back Christian McCaffrey had 66 yards and two scores on six receptions and eight targets - he also rushed for 48 yards on 15 carries.

Do-it-all fullback Kyle Juszczyk added in 49 yards on four catches and targets. Jauan Jennings was held to a 45-yard catch across three receptions, but also threw a touchdown.

Backup tight end Jake Tonges finished with three targets, but just one catch going for 14 yards.

Quarterback Brock Purdy was 18-of-31 passing for 262 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He rushed nine times for 24 yards.

The Niners have played without Kittle plenty this season, so it's not like this is unfamiliar territory. San Fran actually went 4-2 without him.

Using StatMuse to filter stats to games the Niners played without Kittle, here's how the Niners survived offensively.

McCaffrey led the offense with 819 total yards of offense. He is the centerpiece of the offense, and he should take on even more with Kittle out the rest of this season.

Kendrick Bourne was next in total yardage, going for 396 yards in those six contests. Tonges had 269 yards and three scores without Kittle around for six games. Jennings was at 162 yards, while Robinson was at 133 yards - both Jennings and Robinson played four games without Kittle around.

Juszczyk chipped in 81 total yards in six appearances without Kittle.

Purdy only appeared in two games without Kittle - Mac Jones started/played the other four contests.

Purdy averaged 306 passing yards in those games, while throwing five touchdowns. He was picked off three times.

Injury Impact/Outlook Ahead

Without Kittle, the Niners are going to need several players to step up. CMC will lead the charge as usual, and it might also lead to the Niners using Brian Robinson a bit more (he only played seven snaps on Sunday, so I wouldn't count on that).

Kittle's injury will lead to more playing time and usage for Tonges. He had some decent outings when Kittle wasn't around earlier this season. Tonges is a risky fantasy/DFS option, but he'll play enough and could surprise.

Jennings is still the team's top wide receiver, even after a slow showing on Sunday. Robinson and Bourne could also be more involved, but that could change if Ricky Pearsall is able to suit up next week - he missed this week with an injury.

Also don't be surprised if Juszczyk is utilized more, like he was on Sunday. Tight end Luke Farrell should also play a bit more, so he could steal a couple targets.

Wide receivers Skyy Moore and Malik Turner also played some offensive snaps on Sunday, but again, that could change if Pearsall is cleared to play.

Things will be tougher on Purdy without Kittle out there to throw too, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Seahawks stack the box and try to eliminate McCaffrey. If they do that, Purdy will have some one-on-one chances in the passing game, so he could still put up decent numbers.

Seattle is already a tough fantasy/DFS matchup for most offensive positions, and down Kittle, the other Niners' fantasy/DFS options might take a hit, even though they will be tasked with taking on more.

Of course, the one decent fantasy matchup against the Seahawks belongs to the tight end position. That puts Tonges in a position to possibly surprise in the Divisional Round.

We'll cover Niners more in rankings and start/sit content later in the week, so be sure to check back for that!