Will sit season finale

Celek (concussion) was ruled out for Sunday's game against the Rams, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Celek was able to practice in a limited fashion this week, but not able to clear the concussion protocol. The 30-year-old will head into the offseason having caught five of eight passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. Sunday will mark the first time Celek has missed a game since 2015.

Practices in limited fashion

Celek (concussion) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Celek will still have to clear the league's concussion protocol before receiving the green light to play in the season finale Sunday against the Rams. For now, the fact that he's on the field in any capacity suggests he's at least made some progress through the five-step protocol after being diagnosed with the head injury during the Week 16 loss to the Bears.

In concussion protocol

Celek (concussion) is in the concussion protocol Monday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.comreports.

Analysis: Celek suffered a head injury during Sunday's 14-9 loss to the Bears and will need to clear the league-mandated protocol before retaking the field. Due to the nature of such injuries and the 49ers being eliminated from playoff contention, it wouldn't be a surprise if Celek were to sit out versus the Rams in Week 17.

Won't return Sunday

Celek (concussion) will not return to Sunday's game against the Bears, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Analysis: Celek was unable to clear the league's concussion protocol and will therefore be sidelined for the remainder of Sunday's tilt while George Kittle continues to rack up a healthy share of reps at tight end.

Being evaluated for concussion

Celek left Sunday's game against the Bears with a head injury and will be evaluated for a concussion, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Analysis: Celek must clear the league's concussion protocol before potentially returning to the field Sunday. If he's unable to make a return, however, George Kittle would see a majority of the work at tight end, with Ross Dwelley providing additional depth.

Gets into end zone for second time

Celek caught both of his targets, picking up 61 receiving yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 26-23 overtime win against the Seahawks.

Analysis: With his second score of the season Sunday against Seattle, the 30-year-old tight end now has multiple receiving touchdowns in four straight seasons (failed to score a TD through the first 32 games of his career). Celek only had six targets all year entering Week 15, so a bountiful fantasy day certainly came as a surprise, with his 41-yard touchdown catch from Nick Mullens serving as a key turning point in the 49ers' upset win. He remains a long shot to put forth another startable output in…read more

Catchless in loss

Celek was unable to convert his only target into a catch during Sunday's 39-10 loss to the Rams.

Analysis: Celek has not caught a pass since Week 3 and has been targeted just twice during that span. Don't expect things to get much better. Celek is playing with a backup quarterback in a passing game that is running through fellow tight end George Kittle. If the sparse opportunities weren't enough, Sunday's matchup against a surprisingly stingy Arizona pass defense should further push down Celek's value.

Full participant Friday

Celek (quadriceps) was a full participant in Friday's practice and is on pace to be available for Monday night's matchup against the Packers, Matt Maiocco of NBCSports.com reports.

Analysis: Celek has gone without a catch for two consecutive weeks, but he could see an expanded role Monday if fellow tight end George Kittle suffers any sort of setback to his injured knee.

Suffers quad injury

Celek left Sunday's contest against the Cardinals with a quadriceps injury, ESPN's Nick Wagoner reports.

Analysis: Celek suffered the injury in the fourth quarter and did not return. The veteran tight end didn't record a catch for the second consecutive game. Cole Wick would slide up to second on the depth chart if Celek is unable to go next week against the Packers.

Costly drop in loss

Celek did not record a reception in Sunday's loss to San Diego.

Analysis: Celek's lone target hit him in the hands and ricocheted towards a nearby defender for an interception. The veteran tight end wasn't targeted again following the ugly drop. Celek's teammate George Kittle shined (125 yards and a touchdown), solidifying his role as the team's primary tight end.

Targeted once

Celek caught his lone target for a gain of seven yards during Sunday's 38-27 loss to Kansas City.

Analysis: Celek has now caught all three of his targets this season. It was tough enough to be a factor as a backup tight end behind the emerging George Kittle, but the loss of Jimmy Garoppolo (ACL) changes the entire complexion of San Francisco's offense. If Celek were only averaging a catch per game with Garoppolo at quarterback, he doesn't figure to fare better with C.J. Beathard despite a favorable matchup against a bottom-10 Chargers pass defense Sunday.

Hauls in touchdown

Celek caught both of his targets for 22 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 30-27 win over the Lions.

Analysis: Celek received half of the targets starter George Kittle received, but the former was the tight end to hit paydirt Week 2. The veteran wasn't targeted last week with the 49ers playing from behind and using fewer two-tight end sets. A similar situation could arise next week when San Francisco takes on the Chiefs' high-flying offense.

Not targeted Sunday

Celek did not receive a target in Sunday's loss to Minnesota.

Analysis: With George Kittle (shoulder) cleared to start, Celek was pushed back into a backup/blocking role. The 30-year-old proved to be a capable starter at times last season and could poach some red-zone targets from Kittle, but the latter is clearly the tight end to own in San Francisco.

Logs one catch in preseason loss

Celek secured his only target for eight yards in the 49ers' 16-13 preseason loss to the Texans on Saturday.

Analysis: Drawing the start in place of George Kittle (shoulder), Celek logged his one catch on the 49ers' first play from scrimmage. The 30-year-old journeyman is certainly serviceable in the stopgap role that he's currently serving in with Kittle sidelined, but his ideal slotting is that of a complementary option to a front-line starter. As such, Celek's fantasy value is decidedly modest and limited to the deepest of formats at present, although any downgrade to Kittle's status would change that…read more

Will start next week

Celek will take over as the 49ers' primary tight end following the announcement that George Kittle (shoulder) will miss the remainder of the preseason.

Analysis: Kittle suffered a separated shoulder in Thursday's preseason opener, but head coach Kyle Shanahan doesn't expect the injury to affect the tight end's status for the start of the regular season. Celek will take over as starter for the rest of the preseason, and he will assume a backup role Week 1 if Kittle returns on schedule. The 28-year-old Celek scored a career-high four touchdowns while splitting starting duties with his rookie counterpart last year, and he should still garner some red-zone…read more

Tight ends coach Jon Embree expects both Celek and George Kittle to get targets in the red zone, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee reports.

Analysis: The two tight ends split snaps and targets in 2017, with both enjoying their most productive stretches of the season after Jimmy Garoppolo took over as the starting quarterback in Week 13. Kittle is the superior athlete and obvious breakout candidate, but the 30-year-old Celek has an advantage in experience, blocking and recent durability. While unlikely to establish much fantasy value of his own, Celek is relevant for the manner in which his own involvement could impact Kittle's. The 49ers had…read more

Celek finished the 2017 campaign with 336 yards on 21 receptions and a career-high four touchdowns.

Analysis: Celek began the year behind rookie George Kittle on the depth chart, but a myriad of minor injuries forced the rookie out of action mid-season and the veteran stepped up like he has in the past. In a five-game stretch between Weeks 10 and 14, Celek racked up 234 yards and a trio of touchdowns while taking over as the team's primary receiving tight end. The 29-year-old proved that he is more than just a blocking option and that he can be a fantasy-relevant option when called upon. That said,…read more

Celek (knee/rib) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Rams, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Analysis: Celek was held without a catch while logging just 17 snaps on offense in last week's 44-33 win over the Jaguars. His workload might increase as he returns to health, but the Niners still figure to give rookie George Kittle plenty of opportunities. Neither tight end can be counted on for the final week of the season.

Celek (knee/rib) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Celek should be able to play through the same pair of injuries again, but there's every reason to worry about his workload after he was held without a catch on just 17 snaps in Sunday's 44-33 win over the Jaguars. Regardless of Celek's health, the 49ers may want to prioritize building chemistry between Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie tight end George Kittle.

Celek (knee/rib) logged just 17 offensive snaps while going catchless in a 44-33 win over Jacksonville on Sunday.

Analysis: Celek was limited during practice last week and carried a questionable tag heading into Sunday's matchup due to multiple minor injuries. While his ailments could have been the reason for his reduced role, the veteran didn't see his role on special teams reduced, hinting that this was a planned move by the 49ers' coaching staff. Perhaps the matchup favored the more athletic George Kittle, or maybe the team simply wanted to get a better look at its young tight end as the season comes to a close.…read more

Celek (knee/rib) is active for Sunday's contest against the Jaguars.

Analysis: Celek has picked up knee and rib injuries the past two weeks, capping his practice reps in advance of this game. Officially cleared to play Sunday, he'll attempt to keep up his rapport with Jimmy Garoppolo. Since the signal caller took over the offense Week 13, Celek has parlayed 11 targets into seven receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

Celek (knee/rib) is expected to play Sunday against Jacksonville, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Analysis: Celek played through the knee injury in last week's 25-23 win over the Titans, but he picked up a rib injury while catching all three of his targets for 63 yards and a touchdown. His ability to log limited participation at every practice this week, along with this report, suggests he should be able to play Sunday, but fantasy owners will want to check his status before the 4:05 pm ET kickoff.

Celek (knee/rib) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Jaguars, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Celek played through the knee injury in last week's 25-23 win over the Titans, but he picked up a rib injury while catching all three of his targets for 63 yards and a touchdown. His ability to log limited participation at every practice this weeks suggests he should be able to give it a go for Sunday's difficult matchup against the elite Jacksonville defense. Should Celek end up sitting, George Kittle likely would absorb a sizable chunk of his snaps and targets, with Logan Paulsen also…read more

Celek was limited in practice Wednesday due to knee and rib injuries, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Analysis: According to Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News, Celek was one of six 49ers seen in a non-contact jersey, but the reality didn't stop him and those particular teammates from taking part in individual drills. With two days remaining to elevate to full participant and potentially ditch his injury designations entirely, Celek, if active, will have a tough task on his hands this Sunday against a Jaguars defense that has contained opposing tight ends to six catches for 39 yards and no touchdowns…read more

Celek caught all three of his targets for 63 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 25-23 win over the Titans.

Analysis: Celek made the most of his limited looks, finishing third on the team in receiving and a five-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He also broke off a 41-yard gain at one point, as he continues to gain a reputation as a playmaker from the tight end position. Celek's big-play ability and his growing red-zone rapport with Jimmy Garoppolo have his fantasy value trending upward, despite a challenging matchup with the Jaguars next week.

Celek (knee) was removed from the injury report for Sunday's game against the Titans.

Analysis: Limited in practice the previous two days, Celek returned to full participation Friday and was thus removed from the injury report. He's been operating as San Francisco's No. 1 tight end, averaging four targets over the past five games. Celek has gains of 61 and 47 yards in that stretch, but he's been pretty quiet otherwise.

Gelek was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice due to a knee injury.

Analysis: Each of Celek's three most productive games this season has occurred in the past four weeks, with the veteran most recently catching two of four targets for 67 yards and a touchdown while playing 84 percent of the snaps on offense in Sunday's 26-16 win over the Texans. His ability to practice in a limited capacity suggests he's on track to play against the Titans on Sunday, but if not, George Kittle likely would step in as the No. 1 tight end, a role he held for the first half of the season to…read more

Celek caught two of his four targets for 67 yards and his third touchdown of the season in Sunday's 26-16 victory over the Texans.

Analysis: Celek did the majority of his damage on a 61-yard catch and run in the third quarter, the longest reception of his career. Jimmy Garoppolo rewarded his tight end at the end of the drive with a well-placed toss that Celek corralled for his third touchdown of the season. The 29-year-old has now scored three touchdowns in three consecutive seasons despite starting each year behind a younger, more athletic tight end on the depth chart. Perhaps the 49ers should consider featuring "Old Reliable" more…read more

Celek caught two of his four targets for 30 yards in Sunday's 15-14 win over the Bears.

Analysis: Celek continued to split targets with rookie George Kittle, which has effectively nullified both tight ends' fantasy values. Jimmy Garoppolo made his debut start in red and gold Sunday and was noticeably more effective than either of the 49ers' previous signal callers this season, but unless one of Celek or Kittle develops a clear rapport with Garoppolo, it will be tough to trust either player against the Texans next Sunday.

Celek hauled in four of his six targets for 67 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-21 win over the Giants.

Analysis: The veteran tight end got the start in place of George Kittle (leg) and produced a strong fantasy line due in large part to a 47-yard catch and run for a score at the end of the first half. While this was a promising outing for Celek, the upcoming bye week should presumably afford Kittle enough time to heal up. Even if he were to earn another start, the Seahawks are far less forgiving against opposing tight ends in comparison to the Giants, who entered Week 10 ranked as the worst defense…read more