NFL Player News

Hill failed to complete his only pass attempt, adding five carries for 13 yards and a 12-yard reception in the Saints' 48-46 loss to the 49ers on Sunday.

Last week's two-touchdown Thanksgiving bonanza is in the distant rear view, as Hill fell back to earth for a typical stat line in Sunday's loss. The rushing attempts were a season-high, though game script -- influenced by a combined 94 points scored -- likely contributed to that bump in usage out of the backfield. Hill shouldn't be utilized outside of deep two-quarterback leagues, and his value is almost entirely touchdown-dependent.

Vannett was not targeted in Pittsburgh's 23-17 win over Arizona on Sunday.

Coming into this game Vannett had just seven receptions for 70 yards and no touchdowns in eight games for the Steelers. If Vance McDonald (concussion) is unable to play Week 15, Vannett would likely draw the start against a Buffalo defense that has allowed the third and fourth fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends in standard and PPR formats respectively.

Smith hauled in three of four targets for 29 yards and one touchdown in the Titans' Week 14 win over the Raiders.

Smith was fairly ineffective until he managed his second touchdown of the season early in the fourth quarter. The score came on a well-covered misdirection play that required Smith to make a contested catch over the Raiders' defensive backs. Despite the positive performance, Smith has seen no more than four targets in each of his past three games, making him a touchdown-reliant producer. Smith will look to become more involved in Week 15 against the Texans.

Kelce caught seven of nine targets for 66 yards and added a four-yard touchdown run in Sunday's 23-16 win over the Patriots.

The tight end led the Chiefs in catches, targets and receiving yards, but his frequent usage may have had something to do with the knock Patrick Mahomes took to his throwing hand early in the game as the QB seemed reluctant to attack downfield afterwards, resulting in more underneath looks for Kelce. He's now just 11 yards shy of his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season, a mark he could reach early in Week 15's clash with the Broncos.

Henry caught two of four targets for 39 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 45-10 rout of the Jaguars.

The tight end has seen his target volume drop lately, getting only seven targets over the last two games, but Henry was able to salvage his day with his fourth TD of the season. Despite that, he's only 44 receiving yards short of topping his career high of 579 set in 2017 -- a mark he'll look to reach in Week 15 when the Chargers host the Vikings.

Waller caught all six of his targets for 73 yards during Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Titans. He also lost a fumble.

Waller finished second on the team in targets while tying for the team lead in receptions. He has now topped 70 receiving yards in three of the last four games to approach 900 yards for the season. Waller should continue to serve as Derek Carr's top target next Sunday against the Jaguars.

Hooper caught two of six targets for 32 receiving yards during Sunday's 40-20 win against Carolina.

It's not that Hooper wasn't involved Sunday, as his six targets ranked second on the team behind Julio Jones' eight. His 18-yard catch midway through the second quarter spurred a six-play touchdown drive for Atlanta, but otherwise he hauled in only one of five targets on the afternoon. Though Hooper's Week 14 output was disappointing for those who plugged him into lineups coming off his three-game absence from a sprained MCL, it's encouraging at least that he remained a high-volume target upon his return to the lineup. The Week 15 matchup does not provide optimism for a bounceback performance, however, with San Francisco ranking No. 1 in the NFL with just 389 receiving yards allowed to opposing tight ends this season.

Moreau (knee) is ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game against the Titans.

Moreau was injured after making a catch in the third quarter and looked to be in considerable pain on the training table. The rookie fourth-round pick recorded three catches for 14 yards and a score before exiting the contest. Derek Carrier will bump into the No. 2 tight-end role behind Darren Waller for the time being.

Thomas caught five of 10 targets for 57 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 40-20 loss to the Falcons.

With Greg Olsen (concussion) inactive, Thomas' Week 14 output proved to be better than that of his preceding 12 combined, as he tied or surpassed his previous season totals in targets (nine), receptions (five) and yards (28) in a matchup against Atlanta's bottom-10 pass defense. Should Olsen be forced to miss a second consecutive outing Week 15 against Seattle, Thomas is a worthwhile consideration facing off against a Seahawks defense that enters Sunday Night Football as a bottom-five unit in terms of catches (77), receiving yards (802) and touchdowns (six) allowed to opposing tight ends this season.

Kittle (knee/ankle) had six receptions (eight targets) for 67 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 48-46 win over New Orleans.

Kittle was a limited participant in practice all week while dealing with lower body injuries, but his status for this important NFC showdown was never in doubt. The well-rounded tight end was asked to stay back and block for the majority of last week's contest against the Ravens -- who blitz more than any defense in the league -- but coach Kyle Shanahan allowed him to eat again on offense this week. The 26-year-old had another signature catch-and-run during the 49ers' final drive where he dragged three defenders (while also baiting a facemask penalty) well into field-goal territory to help clinch the battle of NFC titans. Excluding last week's anomaly, Kittle is averaging six receptions and 90.3 yards per game over his last four, which keeps him firmly in the top three of tight end options heading into a Week 15 matchup with Atlanta.