NFL Player News

Waller (knee/back), who has missed the Raiders' past four games, is expected to be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia had previously been hopeful that Waller might practice Wednesday, but the tight end's impending move to the COVID-19 list will thwart those plans. Even if he's able to test out of the NFL's COVID-19 protocol in expedient fashion, he'll more than likely miss multiple practices this week, which could make it difficult for him to gain clearance for Sunday's game against the Colts.

The Falcons placed Hurst on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday after he tested positive for the virus, Scott Bair of the team's official site reports.

Hurst is among 10 Falcons on the active roster and two more on the practice squad that have landed in COVID-19 protocols in recent days. The entire team is vaccinated, so the tight end still has a chance to test out of the protocol and make himself available for Sunday's game at Buffalo.

Yeboah (illness) activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, Ethan Greenberg of the Jets' official site reports.

Yeboah was signed to the active roster before Week 10 and has mostly appeared on special teams. However, with Tyler Kroft on the reserve/COVID-19 list and Ryan Griffin (knee) Trevon Wesco (knee) on injured reserve, Yeboah could be returning at an opportune time. If Kroft doesn't clear the NFL's return-to-play protocols in time for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, Yeboah could find himself in a starting role.

Kelce (illness) is on track to return from the reserve/COVID-19 list to take part in practice Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Kelce's impending return to practice puts him on track to play in Sunday's game against the Bengals, following his absence during the Chiefs' win over the Steelers last weekend. Most of his vacated snaps went to backup tight end Noah Gray, but wide receivers Byron Pringle and Mecole Hardman did most of the damage in the passing game with Kelce out and Tyreek Hill playing limited snaps. Kelce should have time to ramp up before Sunday, assuming all goes well in practice Wednesday.

Blanton failed to see a single target in Sunday's 30-23 win over the Vikings.

Blanton reverted back to his role as the Rams' No. 2 tight end with starter Tyler Higbee activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of Week 16. The 26-year-old played on just eight of the team's 70 offensive snaps. With Higbee and the Rams' pass catchers healthy, Blanton will likely continue to be a non-factor on offense.

Engram caught four of five targets for 17 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-10 loss to the Eagles.

Engram's score was the Giants' only touchdown in the blowout loss. With New York's offense being led by either Mike Glennon or Jake Fromm, Engram will likely need to hit paydirt again Week 17 against the Bears to pay dividends for fantasy managers.

Okwuegbunam failed to catch either of his two targets in Sunday's 17-13 loss to the Raiders.

The Denver passing game struggled as a whole Week 16, and Okwuegbunam wasn't immune to quarterback Drew Lock's struggles to move the offense. The second-year tight end played just one third of the team's offensive snaps in the loss, and his two targets were his lowest total since Week 12. Okwuegbunam should remain far off the fantasy radar in a Week 17 matchup with the Chargers.

Fant secured three of four targets for 30 yards in Sunday's 17-13 loss to the Raiders.

Fant's underwhelming season continued Week 16, as the tight end failed to produce a fantasy-friendly line. Notably, Fant hasn't found the end zone since Week 6, the first time the Broncos played the Raiders. The Denver passing game has been ineffective for the majority of the season, and it was more of the same with Drew Lock starting under center. Fant and the Broncos will visit the Chargers in Week 17, but the 6-foot-4, 249-pound tight end will be difficult to trust in fantasy lineups.

Wolf reverted back to the Saints' practice squad Tuesday, per the NFL's transaction log.

Wolf was elevated to the active roster due to the absence of both Adam Trautman (illness) and Juwan Johnson (illness) for the Saints' Week 16 matchup against Miami. He played 12 offensive snaps and recorded a pair of catches for eight yards, but he will now head back to the practice squad. Given the likelihood that both Trautman and Johnson return in time for a Week 17 matchup against Carolina, Wolf may not be elevated again for the foreseeable future.

Gray compiled a pair of catches for 12 yards on two targets Sunday versus the Steelers. He played a season-high 50 snaps in the contest.

Gray saw the biggest boost in his playing time with Travis Kelce (COVID-19 protocols) sitting out and turned in his best effort of the season, albeit to the tune of just two catches for 12 yards. He only figures to be slightly interesting next week if Kelce remains out of commission against the Bengals.