NFL Player News

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.

Akins caught all three of his targets for 24 yards in Sunday's 26-3 win over the Jaguars.

Akins now has new career highs in receptions (20), targets (28) yards, receiving yards (248) and touchdowns (two), with at least seven more games to build on those numbers. Unfortunately, this usage has led to only two touchdowns, both scored in a Week 3 win over the Chargers. While both Texans tight ends are getting more opportunities relative to last season, Akins clearly sits behind Darren Fells in terms of touchdowns and red-zone targets.

Hollister caught four of six targets for 37 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 40-34 win over the Buccaneers.

Hollister hauled in a one-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson late in the second quarter, and he nearly scored again in the third quarter but was stopped at Tampa Bay's one-yard line. He was saving his second score for a heroic moment, however, as Hollister snagged a 10-yard pass from Russell Wilson in overtime for a touchdown and the win, lifting the Seahawks to 7-2 on the season. This success may be unsustainable in the long term, but Hollister does have fantasy value, albeit in a touchdown-dependent capacity. Hollister may end up passing Luke Willson in the tight-end pecking order in Week 10's matchup against the 49ers, but both players could see a decrease in potential once Josh Gordon is in the fold.