NFL Player News

Conklin caught two of four targets for six yards during Week 18's 31-17 win over the Bears.

With Irv Smith (knee) lost for the year before the season began, Conklin came into 2021 with a bigger role than expected. He fared admirably, notching multiple catches in all but one game and finished the 2021 campaign with 61 receptions for 593 yards and three touchdowns -- all career highs. Conklin is set to be a free agent this offseason, so he may draw some interest from around the league after his career year, which in turn would make it difficult for the Vikings to bring him back.

Johnson caught 13 of 21 targets for 159 yards and four touchdowns over 14 games in 2021.

After converting from wide receiver during the offseason, Johnson was one of three New Orleans tight ends to have a sizable role in 2021. However, Johnson ran a route on over 52 percent of his offensive snaps while Adam Trautman (33.8) and Vannett (36.3) hovered around one third. Moreover, Johnson's four touchdowns were more than Trautman (two) and Vannett (one) combined. While his overall stat line still wasn't very useful for fantasy purposes, Johnson had impressive moments for an undrafted player who changed positions ahead of his second season in the pros. As an exclusive-rights free agent, Johnson should be back in New Orleans in 2022, when he'll again look to push Trautman and Vannett for receiving reps at tight end.

Vannett caught nine of 15 targets for 133 yards and one touchdown over seven games in 2021.

Vannett's preseason knee injury wound up costing him over half of the season. While he caught a few passes in two of the four games Adam Trautman missed down the stretch, the veteran otherwise didn't do much from a receiving standpoint while rotating in behind Trautman. Both players will be back to head the Saints depth chart at tight end in 2022, and Juwan Johnson, who is an exclusive-rights free agent, should be there to join them.

Wilcox secured three of five targets for 16 yards across 15 appearances in 2021.

Wilcox logged the first NFL action of his career for Cincinnati in 2021, and he's scheduled to become an exclusive-rights free agent this offseason. The Bengals could opt to keep Wilcox around and allow him to continue developing in the same system.

Sample secured 11 of 15 targets for 81 yards across 17 appearances in 2021.

Sample was targeted 53 times across 16 regular-season appearances in 2020, but the third year of his NFL career has seen him take a clear back seat to C.J. Uzomah. The 2019 second-round pick has one more year on his rookie deal with Cincinnati, but his opportunities on offense could be slim again in the 2022 campaign.

Kelce corralled five of seven targets for 108 yards and a touchdown Sunday, adding a two-yard passing touchdown on his lone pass attempt in a 42-21 win over the Steelers.

Patrick Mahomes and Kelce were in sync as usual, and the latter even vultured a passing touchdown. The star tight end will face a stiff test in the AFC divisional round, as the Bills have surrendered the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends all season. However, Kelce did relatively well in a Week 5 matchup between the clubs, going for six catches on 10 targets for 57 yards and a touchdown. He should, rightfully, register as the priciest tight end to roster in DFS formats next week.

Schultz caught seven of eight targets for 89 yards in Sunday's 23-17 loss to the 49ers in the wild-card round.

The tight end was once again Dak Prescott's most reliable option, leading the Cowboys in catches and yards as their season came to a disappointing finish. Schultz proved his 2020 performance was no fluke, setting career highs across the board by hauling in 78 passes on 104 targets for 808 yards and eight touchdowns across 17 regular-season games. He'll head into the offseason an unrestricted free agent, and Schultz has set himself up for a big payday, either from Dallas or from another club.

Kittle caught one of three targets for 18 yards in Sunday's 23-17 win over the Cowboys in the wild-card round.

The tight end continues to pay the price for Jimmy Garoppolo's thumb injury. With the quarterback's ability to throw impaired, the 49ers offense has been even more ground-heavy than usual, requiring Kittle to block more and run fewer routes. He hasn't reached 30 receiving yards in four straight games, managing only a 9-78-0 line on 15 targets over that stretch, and Kittle will likely need a touchdown to make a significant fantasy impact next weekend against the Packers in the divisional round.

Goedert recorded six catches on 12 targets for 92 yards in Sunday's 31-15 wild-card round loss to the Buccaneers.

Goedert was one of the few Eagles who produced consistently throughout the game, and he led the team in most receiving stats. He found holes in the Tampa Bay secondary for several big plays, including catches that went for 28, 17 and 16 yards. The only thing missing from his performance was a trip to the end zone, with Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott instead tallying the team's touchdowns. Heading into 2022, Goedert figures to pair with DeVonta Smith as key members of Philadelphia's passing attack after he produced a career-high 830 receiving yards across 15 games during the 2021 campaign.

Trautman caught 27 of 43 targets for 263 yards and two touchdowns over 13 games in 2021.

Expectations were relatively high for Trautman entering the season with the No. 1 role at tight end seemingly all to himself. While he logged a majority of the snaps whenever he was available, Trautman ran a route on just over a third of his snaps, and his lone productive fantasy outing came against the Eagles' league-worst defense versus tight ends. Otherwise, he mainly provided value as a blocker as the Saints revolving door at quarterback made it hard for any New Orleans pass catcher to generate consistent production. Even though Trautman should again see plenty of playing time entering his third season in 2022, the 24-year-old will need to see heightened usage as a receiver in order to become a dependable fantasy option.