NFL Player News

Fant (foot/hip) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

Fant's practice reps have been restricted this week while he manages the two injuries, with coach Vic Fangio saying the rookie could "possibly" be limited Sunday but is trending in the right direction to play, per Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com. Fortunately, the Broncos kick off among the early wave of games Sunday, leaving Fant's fantasy managers with some alternatives at their disposal in the event his condition unexpectedly takes a turn for the worse leading up to game day. Fant caught all four of his targets for 113 yards and a touchdown in the Week 14 win over Houston, marking the second time this season the rookie has cleared the century mark in yardage.

Thomas is poised to make another start after teammate Greg Olsen (concussion) was ruled out for Sunday's game against the Seahawks.

Thomas took full advantage of the same opportunity last week, hauling in five of 10 targets for 57 yards and a touchdown in a 40-20 loss to the Falcons. He isn't likely to repeat that target volume, but he should get plenty of snaps against a Seattle defense that's given up the second-most receiving yards (918) to tight ends this year.

Smith is expected to start at tight end and handle a heavy snap count while Evan Engram (foot) and Rhett Ellison (concussion) both remain sidelined for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Dan Benton of USA Today reports.

For the second straight week, Engram expressed confidence in his ability to play, but the Giants ultimately weren't willing to give him the green light. With Engram and Ellison headed to the inactive list again, Smith is the next man up on the depth chart, while fourth-stringer Scott Simonson operates as a blocking specialist. Smith has played more than 90 percent of the Giants' offensive snaps in each of the past three weeks, delivering 13 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown on 19 targets.

Engram (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Engram was seemingly on track to return to action for the second straight week, but as was the case in Week 14, he was ultimately ruled out for another game after further evaluation. With only two games to go after Sunday, the Giants may consider shutting Engram down for the season, though a decision on that front has yet to be made. Fellow tight end Rhett Ellison (concussion) will also be inactive against Miami, so rookie Kaden Smith should once again work as the team's top option at the position.

Engram (foot) isn't expected to play Sunday against the Dolphins, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

The 2017 first-round pick has worked as a limited practice participant this week and hasn't appeared to suffer a setback, but he apparently hasn't progressed enough from the left foot sprain to make returning from the four-game absence worth the risk. Engram's availability will receive further clarity when the Giants release their final injury report later Friday, but at this point, his status is trending in the wrong direction.

Engram (foot) is not expected to play Sunday against the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The 2017 first-round pick has worked as a limited practice participant this week and hasn't appeared to suffer a setback, but he apparently hasn't progressed enough from the left foot sprain to make returning from the four-game absence worth the risk. Engram's availability will receive further clarity when the Giants release their official injury report Friday, but at this point his status is trending in the wrong direction.

Andrews (knee) secured four of seven targets for 52 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens' 42-21 win over the Jets on Thursday.

Andrews tied Marquise Brown for the team lead in receptions while checking in second to Seth Roberts in receiving yardage. The second-year tight end narrowly missed putting together a truly explosive performance when he and Lamar Jackson just failed to connect on a deep pass down the middle early in the fourth quarter, but it was still a fruitful fantasy night following his early exit from a Week 14 win over the Bills due to a knee injury. Andrews will look to put together an even stronger effort against the Browns in Week 16, a week from Sunday.

Andrews (knee) is active for Thursday's game against the Jets.

Andrews was unable to make it through the first half of Sunday's 24-17 win over the Bills, finishing the afternoon with one catch for 14 yards on nine offensive snaps. He was then listed as a non-participant on Monday's injury report, but the Ravens upgraded him to limited participation Tuesday and Wednesday, ultimately deeming the tight end questionable. With his active status now confirmed, Andrews should have a major role in the Baltimore passing game, though his target volume had been trending down even before Sunday's injury. The tight end drew no more than six targets each of the past four weeks, instead getting by on efficiency (11.6 yards per target) and touchdowns (two). The Jets have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to tight ends, but they appear far more vulnerable with safety Jamal Adams (ankle) out of the lineup.

Fant (foot/hip) returned to a limited practice Thursday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

Previous reports suggested that coach Vic Fangio was optimistic about the tight end's outlook for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, and his return to practice bolsters that. We'll revisit Fant's status Friday to see if he's listed as questionable on the Broncos' final Week 15 injury report, or if he heads into the weekend minus any sort of designation.

Graham (wrist) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday.

Graham typically sheds his designation by the end of each week, so Friday's injury report may clear up his availability, per usual. Assuming he gains clearance to play Sunday, he'll be attempting to exploit a Bears defense that has allowed the third-most catches (81) to tight ends this season.