NFL Player News

Head coach Matt Patricia said Monday that Hockenson (concussion) is currently in the league's concussion protocol and that there isn't any concern about his shoulder, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

It was already reported earlier Monday that Hockenson isn't a candidate for injured reserve, which could mean his injury isn't long-term in nature, although it's still unclear just how much time the rookie could miss. The Lions will be on bye for Week 5, with their next game coming Oct. 14 against Green Bay.

Thomas secured all three of his targets for 25 yards during Sunday's 34-30 loss to Kansas City.

The former Virginia Tech quarterback seems to get better at tight end with every week, and he ultimately drew even with T.J. Hockenson (concussion) in targets and receptions while outpacing Jesse James in both categories. While the absence of Danny Amendola (chest) may have inflated Thomas' usage Sunday, Thomas could be a bigger beneficiary than James if Hockenson is unable to play Week 6 against the Packers.

James was unable to catch his lone target during Sunday's 34-30 loss to the Chiefs.

James mostly was used to block on a day Detroit rode Kerryon Johnson to a career-high 26 carries. While he could become a bigger part of the passing game Week 6 if fellow tight end T.J. Hockenson (concussion) is unable to return to form during the Lions' Week 5 bye, Logan Thomas is another option to see increased usage after catching a season-high three passes for 25 yards Sunday.

Hockenson (concussion/shoulder), who was carted off the field during Sunday's game against the Chiefs, is not a candidate for IR, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

That's a bit of good news as the Lions approach their Week 5 bye, but it remains to be seen if the extra recovery time that affords Hockenson will be enough for him to gain clearance to play in the team's Oct. 14 contest against the Packers. Hockensen was officially diagnosed with a concussion and a right shoulder injury upon exiting in the third quarter when he was upended by Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu.

Gesicki was not targeted during Sunday's 30-10 loss to the Chargers.

Gesicki didn't factor into the Dolphins' plans on offense Week 4. Since being targeted six times Week 1, Gesicki has only received five targets across the last three contests. With the Dolphins on bye this week, the second-year tight end is safe to leave on waivers in all but the deepest of leagues.

Knox caught all three of his targets for 58 yards during Sunday's loss to the Patriots.

Working as the starter in the absence of No. 1 tight end Tyler Kroft (ankle), Knox made a dent in the passing game for a second straight week. Watching the rookie run after the catch, it's easy to see why the Bills plucked a guy with his talent in the third round -- his 18.0 YPC on eight catches is way up there for a tight end. If Kroft (ankle) has to sit for another week or two, Knox becomes a viable sneaky option for those in deeper leagues dealing with bye weeks.

Akins caught three of four targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 16-10 loss to the Panthers in Week 4.

Akins popped up on fantasy radars last week when he caught two touchdowns and continued the momentum against the Panthers, although he didn't find the end zone. He leads Houston's tight ends with 14 targets -- three more than starter Darren Fells -- and is tied for third overall on the team. Quarterback Deshaun Watson still looks for his wideouts first and foremost, but Akins has emerged as a second-tier threat.

Brown started at tight end and played a season-high 33 snaps, catching his lone target for 18 yards in Sunday's 40-25 win over the Ravens in Week 4.

The Browns are still adjusting to life without David Njoku (wrist), but trends are quickly forming. Brown (Week 4) and Demetrius Harris (Week 3) have started in place of Njoku and dominated the playing time, but when quarterback Baker Mayfield throws to the position, more often than not it's Ricky Seals-Jones on the receiving end. Seals-Jones gobbled up three of the four tight end targets against the Ravens, and he leads the healthy tight ends with five targets in 30 overall snaps while Brown (two targets, 67 snaps) and Harris (four, 178) have been used primarily as blockers.

Hill rushed two times for 16 yards in the Saints' 12-10 win over the Cowboys on Sunday.

After Sean Payton hinted that Hill might be involved in the passing game alongside Teddy Bridgewater, Hill hasn't attempted a pass in two games with Bridgewater as the starter. Hill is being deployed as nothing more than a gadget player, and his only fantasy utility is in very deep leagues that utilize two quarterbacks or a superflex position.

Fant hauled in two of his four targets for 31 yards and a touchdown in Week 4 against the Jaguars.

Fant got the Broncos on the board by hauling in a screen pass from Joe Flacco and racing to the end zone for a 25-yard score. He was quiet from there, recording just one more reception for six yards. While he hasn't posted particularly impressive numbers through four games, Fant has shown big-play ability by turning in at least one reception of 20 or more yards in three games this season. He'll look to continue to work into a bigger role in the offense in Week 5 against the Chargers.