NFL Player News

Alie-Cox did not catch his only target during Sunday's 19-17 win over the Titans.

Alie-Cox was solid for a TE3 in 2018, managing two scores in eight games catching passes from Andrew Luck. It's a new situation with Jacoby Brissett under center, but the competition with Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle remains. A solid TE3 is still too low a bar to warrant fantasy consideration.

Oliver (hamstring) was a non-participant at Tuesday's practice.

Oliver also did not participate in Monday's practice. A hamstring injury has kept the rookie third-round pick from making his NFL debut through two weeks, and he appears to be trending toward another absence. Seth DeValve would presumably continue handling No. 3 tight end duties should he ultimately remain sidelined.

Hooper caught four of his six targets for 34 yards in Sunday's 24-20 win over the Eagles.

Hooper played in 50 of 66 possible offensive plays (76 percent) and even saw a red-zone target. The 24-year-old was expected to regress a bit after catching all nine of his targets for a team-high 77 yards in the season opener. It seems that Sunday's stat line will likely be more standard for Hooper, at which point his fantasy value will be reliant on scoring touchdowns.

Bell didn't catch his only target during Sunday's game against the Ravens.

Bell still received a healthy dose of 25 snaps in the game and is the clear backup to Travis Kelce at the tight end position. While it doesn't mean much now, he could gain fantasy relevance should Kelce miss time.

Thomas secured his only target for a seven-yard gain during Sunday's 13-10 victory over the Chargers.

Thomas logged only six snaps compared to 48 for T.J. Hockenson and 30 for Jesse James. It's unlikely that distribution will significantly change in Thomas' favor anytime soon.

Njoku has been ruled out for the remainder of Monday's game against the Jets with a concussion, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Demetrius Harris, Pharaoh Brown and Ricky Seals-Jones are slated to fill in for Njoku at tight end. The former first-round pick will need to clear the concussion protocol in order to play against the Rams in Week 3.

Njoku is questionable to return to Monday's game against the Jets while being evaluated for a concussion, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Njoku took a hard fall in the first quarter and appeared to be shaken up. If he is unable to return to Monday's game, look for some combination of Demetrius Harris, Pharaoh Brown and Ricky Seals-Jones to step in for the Browns at tight end.

James caught three of four targets for 18 yards during Sunday's 13-10 victory over the Chargers.

T.J. Hockenson was the lone starter in this one after both he and James both opened Week 1 in the starting lineup. James again saw significantly less playing time than Hockenson, seeing just 30 offensive snaps compared to 48. For some reason, he still outpaced Hockenson in all receiving categories - including targets - but that's probably not something that will happen every week. James is best left on the waiver wire.

Njoku entered the locker room with medical staff during the first quarter of Monday's game against the Jets, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Njoku attempted to make a catch on the Browns' second drive and was upended, resulting in an awkward fall on his head and neck. Demetrius Harris, Pharaoh Brown and Ricky Seals-Jones are slotted to compensate for Njoku's absence as long as he is out.

Fant caught all four of his targets for 33 total yards during Sunday's 16-14 loss to Chicago. He led Denver's tight ends in offensive snaps with 54 -- 16 more than teammate Jeff Heuerman.

Fant jumpstarted a field-goal drive late in the third quarter, opening up the possession with a 24-yard deep grab. Though he's been criticized for his blocking, he's been a solid weapon to start the season -- four of his six receptions going for first downs -- and he has still yet to fully display the unique athletic profile that got him drafted in the first round. He probably isn't worth considering until those moments flash with more regularity, which will be tough Week 3 against a stingy Packers defense.