49ers' Jake Tonges: Opportunity knocks

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Tonges and Luke Farrell are in line for more snaps at tight end, beginning Sunday versus the Saints, with George Kittle (hamstring) on IR and set to miss at least four games, Dianna Russini, Vic Tafur and Matt Barrows of The Athletic report.

Tonges stepped up in Kittle's absence Week 1, hauling in all three of his targets for 15 yards and a touchdown during San Francisco's 17-13 win over Seattle. Those marked the first regular-season catches of Tonges' career, but Farrell -- who signed a three-year, $15.75 million deal with the 49ers this offseason -- established himself as a blocking specialist across four years with Jacksonville. Farrell remains the likeliest candidate to lead the tight end position in terms of snaps with Kittle out, but it could be Tonges who inherits the majority of pass-catching reps, putting him on the fantasy radar in deeper formats or those that require multiple tight ends to be started.