George Kittle’s Week 1 return is becoming increasingly realistic.

Kittle received an encouraging evaluation after meeting August 19 with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed surgery on his torn Achilles in January. His recovery is considered ahead of schedule, and he now has a legitimate chance to play against the Rams in San Francisco’s September 10 opener in Australia.

That is a meaningful change in Kittle’s fantasy risk profile.

A lengthy early-season absence was one of the biggest reasons to discount him. The possibility that he could avoid PUP and potentially play immediately reduces that concern.

Reduce the injury discount on Kittle, but do not price in Week 1 yet.

The next major checkpoint is his return to padded team practices.

Kittle has been running, reaching near-normal GPS speeds and performing football-related work, but he has also acknowledged that he wants at least one padded practice before playing in a game.

Until that happens, Week 1 should remain a possibility—not an assumption.

Kittle was already optimistic about avoiding the regular-season PUP list, which would require him to miss at least four games.

The difference now is the medical confirmation.

His latest examination produced an encouraging assessment from the surgeon who repaired the Achilles, strengthening the case that Kittle's aggressive recovery is translating into a legitimate early return rather than player optimism alone.

The 49ers also face an unusual logistical decision because they travel to Australia before the opener. Kittle's status may therefore become clearer before the team departs.

This is a significant positive for Kittle’s draft value.

We are not calling him ready for Week 1 yet. That would get ahead of the evidence.

But the downside scenario is shrinking. If Kittle returns to padded practice without a setback, his early-season availability becomes much easier to trust—and the injury discount attached to him should continue disappearing.