NFL Player News

Bates caught one of two targets for five yards in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Vikings.

Logan Thomas hasn't caught a pass in two games since returning from a calf injury, but he did play well over half the snaps in both contests, while Bates has clocked in somewhere in the 30s the past three weeks (39 percent share in Sunday's loss). Any hope for fantasy value depends on Thomas missing time, and even then the Commanders seem to prefer Cole Turner over Bates in passing situations. More than a target or two is unlikely Week 10 at the Eagles.

Thomas finished with no catches on two targets in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Vikings, playing 72 percent of Washington's snaps on offense.

It was his second game back from a three-week absence due to a calf injury, and Thomas made it two in a row without a reception despite playing more than half the available snaps in both contests. He averaged 3.3 catches for 26.5 yards on 5.0 targets over the first four weeks of the season, so there is some hope the 31-year-old tight end starts to see more looks Week 10 at Philadelphia or Week 11 at Houston.

Fumagalli was cut from the 49ers' practice squad Monday, Josh Dubow of The Associated Press reports.

Fumagalli is now slated to search elsewhere for playing opportunities following Monday's transaction. The 27-year-old hasn't played an NFL snap since his time with Denver back in 2020.

Tremble caught two of four targets for 11 yards and a touchdown but also lost a fumble in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Bengals.

Tremble scored Carolina's first points with an eight-yard touchdown reception to begin the third quarter. However, that only came after Tremble was charged with a fumble on a kickoff return to end the first half. With a touchdown in two of the last three weeks, Tremble's stock is nonetheless trending upward ahead of Thursday night's game versus the Falcons.

Gesicki secured one of two targets for three yards during Sunday's 35-32 win over the Bears.

Gesicki's lack of involvement in a competitive game that saw Tua Tagovailoa attempt 30 passes, surpassing 300 yards with three aerial touchdowns, was a disappointing reminder for fantasy managers that he should be considered a boom-or-bust lineup option. In Sunday's win, Gesicki's most notable play may have been a failure to connect with Tagovailoa in the third quarter, when the Dolphins attempted to convert on fourth-and-6. The athletic tight end will get a chance to rebound Week 10 against the Browns.

Mitchell caught two of two targets for eight yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 15-9 win over the Packers.

While Detroit tight ends received only four of Jared Goff's 26 pass attempts in the team's first game without T.J. Hockenson, Mitchell received half of them and parlayed one into his first career touchdown. However, he also saw less playing time (13 offensive snaps) than new No. 1 tight end Brock Wright (50) and Shane Zylstra (16). Mitchell, a rookie fifth-rounder, should get plenty of opportunities to prove his worth as the rest of the year goes on, but his production figures to be unpredictable unless he starts seeing consistently high snap counts.

Wright failed to catch his only target in Sunday's 15-9 win over the Packers.

After rising to the top of the depth chart in the wake of T.J. Hockenson's trade to Minnesota, Wright was barely used in the passing game despite logging 81 percent of the offensive snaps. Meanwhile, rookie fifth-round pick James Mitchell caught both of his targets for eight yards and a touchdown while third-string Shane Zylstra caught his lone target for a one-yard touchdown. Wright could luck into his own scoring opportunities a couple of times as the rest of the season unfolds, but it seems that the Lions may be looking to replace Hockenson with a committee approach if this game was any indication.

Njoku (ankle) plans on playing Sunday against the Dolphins, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Njoku was ruled out for Week 8 due to a high-ankle sprain he suffered Week 7. The tight end appears to have benefited from the team's Week 9 bye and intends to suit up Week 10. After a slow start to his career, Njoku has developed as a pass catcher over the last two campaigns and has 34 receptions for 418 yards across seven appearances this season, putting him on pace to shatter his career-high numbers (36 receptions for 475 yards) from a year ago.

Coach Doug Pederson said Monday that Engram, who briefly left Sunday's win over the Raiders due to a back injury, is considered day-to-day and should be fine for Week 10, John Shipley of SI.com reports.

Engram caught one of two targets for eight yards during the contest, but after securing his only reception, he left the field pointing to his lower back. The talented tight end was able to return to the game and appears to have avoided a major injury, but fantasy mangers still are encouraged to monitor Engram's status throughout the week.

Smith caught three of his four targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 26-3 win over the Colts.

Smith, who was on the field for 34 of a possible 63 snaps on offense in the contest, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, has logged three catches and four targets in each of his last two outings, but while working in a timeshare with fellow TE Hunter Henry, the 27-year-old remains a hit-or-miss fantasy option as the Patriots' next contest against the Jets approaches on Sunday, Nov. 20.