NFL Player News

James caught one of two targets for three yards during Sunday's 31-24 loss to Oakland.

Without running back Kerryon Johnson (knee), Detroit has gone more pass-happy over the past two games, which in turn has meant far fewer two-tight-end sets. James consequently has logged season lows in playing time in two consecutive weeks, bottoming out at 20 offensive snaps Sunday. While the 6-foot-7 blocking specialist hasn't been much of a receiving threat even when seeing up to 50 offensive snaps in a game, James is off the fantasy radar completely unless T.J. Hockenson (back) is forced to miss time, which doesn't seem likely at this point.

Head coach Matt Patricia said Hockenson was hit in the back and it took the breath out of the tight end, but Hockenson is not dealing with a concussion, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Hockenson took a hard hit from Raiders safety Erik Harris on the final drive of the game during Sunday's 31-24 loss to Oakland. The rookie had to leave the field to be checked for a head injury, but Hockenson apparently was clear of concussion symptoms, which is especially great news for someone who was just treated for a concussion over Detroit's Week 5 bye thanks to another hit he took late during the Lions' Week 4 loss to Kansas City. Hockenson's level of participation in practice Wednesday will be more telling of the tight end's availability for Week 10 in Chicago, but it seems like he should be able to play.

Smith had four receptions for 33 yards on six targets in Sunday's 26-23 loss at Kansas City.

Smith's role in the offense continues to grow as he's had 12 receptions and 15 targets in his last three games, compared to a total of seven catches and eight targets in his first six games. That trend could accelerate if Adam Thielen remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Oliver caught one of two targets for four yards in Sunday's loss to the Texans.

The rookie third-round pick played only four fewer snaps than starter Seth DeValve, but the latter had four catches on five targets for 41 yards. Oliver has caught two of four targets for 10 yards in his first three games and remains off the fantasy radar until he becomes more involved in the passing game.

Lewis was not targeted in Sunday's loss to the Chargers.

Lewis put up a season-high 50 yards in the Packers' Monday night victory over the Lions in Week 6, but he has been a non-factor in the offense since, catching just one pass for 11 yards over the last three games. Lewis has finished in the top two among Packers tight ends in snaps played in all but one game this season, but that could change over the latter portion of the campaign, as rookie tight end Jace Sternberger came off injured reserve and made his debut Sunday, and another tight end -- Robert Tonyan -- is close to returning after missing four games with a hip injury.

Graham caught four passes for 17 yards in Sunday's loss to the Chargers.

The four receptions are the second most Graham has totaled in a game this season, but the 17 yards also tied for his fewest since he was held catchless in both Weeks 2 and 3. Graham's production has been inconsistent all season, but with that being the case for many tight ends and him scoring three times -- as many or more than all but three other TEs -- he has done just enough to be considered as a standard-league starter at his position. That may not be the case in Week 10, however, as the Packers will face a Panthers defense that has routinely shut down opposing tight ends over its first eight games.

Hockenson never returned to Sunday's 31-24 loss to the Raiders after he was evaluated for a potential concussion in the fourth quarter, Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press reports.

The Lions didn't have any update after the game, with coach Matt Patricia unable to confirm that Hockenson officially was diagnosed with the injury. The rookie tight end previously suffered a concussion Week 4 against the Chiefs, returning to action after a Week 5 bye. Jesse James and Logan Thomas would be line for more snaps if Hockenson isn't available Week 10 in Chicago.

Fant caught three of four targets for 115 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 24-19 win over the Browns.

The rookie tight end looked like the second coming of Rob Gronkowski on his 75-yard TD reception in the second quarter, catching a pass from Brandon Allen as he came across the middle and then steamrolling multiple Cleveland defenders before racing down the sideline to the end zone. Fant hadn't topped 37 yards in a game prior to Sunday's breakout, so don't assume he's emerged as a sure thing; however, he's seen 17 targets over the last three games and will have a much brighter fantasy outlook coming out of the Broncos' Week 10 bye.

Henry caught seven of his 10 targets for 84 yards in the 26-11 win Sunday over the Packers.

Henry shredded a Packers defense that had no answers for the continuous combinations of slants and crossing routes Los Angeles threw at them, routinely taking advantage of a slow linebacker corps to run for additional yards after the catch. Much like Antonio Gates in the past, Henry is quickly developing into Rivers' favorite target in the middle of the field, often operating opposite Keenan Allen on crossing patterns to take advantage of both players' expert route-running abilities. Despite receiving 24 targets over the past three games, Henry has yet to record a touchdown since returning from injury in Week 6, losing goal-line opportunities to Melvin Gordon, who has four touchdowns in the past three games.

Waller caught both his targets for 52 yards during Sunday's 31-24 win over the Lions.

Waller turned both balls thrown his way into sizable gains, but the Detroit defense paid extra attention to him and limited his opportunities. He was still involved in the red zone and was in the vicinity on Hunter Renfrow's late touchdown grab, though his teammate beat him to the ball. While Waller remains a big part of the offense, he's quietly been held under 55 receiving yards in four of the last five games while catching four passes or fewer in three of those. He'll look to get back on track Thursday against the Chargers.