NFL Player News

Fant caught two of five passes for 29 yards and rushed once for minus-5 yards in Monday's 24-16 loss to the Raiders.

The rookie first-round pick was clearly Denver's No. 1 tight end -- he played 52 of 64 snaps (81 percent) -- but that didn't lead to noteworthy production, as Emmanuel Sanders and Courtland Sutton were clearly Joe Flacco's favorite targets. Still, it's a good sign that Joe Flacco is already looking Fant's way, and he has the size and athleticism to be an intriguing fantasy tight end. Owners should wait until he actually proves it, though, before plugging him into the lineup.

Cleveland waived Gathers on Tuesday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Gathers was reinstated from his one-game suspension Monday after sitting out Sunday's season-opener, but it seems the 25-year-old won't suit up for Cleveland at all. Gathers played in 15 games for Dallas last season as a rookie, logging three catches for 45 yards on seven targets.

Thomas didn't catch his lone target in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Rams.

Thomas featured on merely four offensive plays, as veteran Greg Olsen commanded all but four snaps. Although the Panthers see Thomas as an importance piece behind the injury-prone Olsen, as long as the former Pro Bowler is healthy, Thomas may be hard pressed to nail down consistent meaningful involvement.

Hill rushed two times for eight yards and caught one of two targets for nine yards and a TD in the Saints' 30-28 win over the Texans on Monday.

The gadget player lined up at quarterback a couple of times and carried the ball himself for eight yards. He also got two targets in the passing game as a receiver and managed to snag a ball in the end zone from nine yards out. Hill's upside comes from his ability to lineup all over the field, but his limited usage makes him a deep-league stash for two-quarterback and superflex formats only.

Akins caught one of two targets for 17 yards in Monday's 30-28 loss to the Saints in Week 1.

There's been some level of uncertainty regarding Houston's tight ends, but some clarity emerged from Week 1. Akins led the position group with 47 snaps (70 percent), and Darren Fells was behind him at 34 snaps (51 percent). The remaining four tight ends on the roster were either injured (Jordan Thomas, Kahale Warring), inactive (Logan Paulsen) or played on special teams only (Jerell Adams). It's important to note that although Akins was the leader in playing time, the tight ends were targeted just three times, so the passing attack is still hyper-focused on the wide receivers (20) and running backs (six).

Waller caught seven of eight targets, accounting for 70 receiving yards during Monday night's 24-16 win against the Broncos.

After leading the team in targets in the season opener, Waller is the no-longer-secret secret weapon for an Oakland offense aiming to improve upon an 18th-place finish in passing yards per game. The 6-foot-6 Waller possesses elite athleticism for his position, with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash time and 4.25-second shuttle time recorded at his 2015 NFL Combine appearance. Existing within a Raiders offense that suddenly has targets up for grabs after the release of Antonio Brown on Saturday, Waller has a chance to enjoy a lucrative 2019 campaign at a tight end position that offers relatively few matchup-winning options across the league.

Uzomah had four catches on five targets for 66 yards in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks, outproducing teammate Tyler Eifert in terms of yards.

Uzomah was on the field for 54 offensive snaps, compared to just 38 for Eifert. The Bengals used more plays with two tight ends in the lineup than many expected in the opener, but threw out of those formations, which is encouraging for Uzomah.

Fumagalli is listed as active Monday at Oakland, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Fumagalli's practice reps were impacted Saturday by an illness, but he didn't make an appearance on the ensuing injury report and now is ready to roll for Week 1. He'll jostle with Jeff Heuerman and rookie Noah Fant for reps at tight end.

Dissly (knee) was moving about fine Monday, Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio 950 KJR Seattle reports.

This development comes one day removed from Dissly being tagged as "doubtful to return" to Sunday's game against the Bengals as a result of a right knee injury. The same knee endured a torn patella tendon last September, so there's cause for concern that he'll miss some time. Wednesday's injury report will shed light on his current level of health. Plus, with just one healthy TE (Nick Vannett) on the 53-man roster, the Seahawks would tip their hand regarding Dissly by making a free-agent signing at the position.

Gathers was reinstated from his one-game suspension on Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Gathers was forced to sit out the season opener due to a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, but he's ready to join the Browns for Week 2. The 25-year-old's return means there's five available tight ends currently on the 53-man roster.