NFL Player News

Hill recorded 196 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries, four receiving yards on three catches and 64 passing yards and an interception on 3-for-7 passing while playing in 16 games in 2018.

Hill was a jack of all trades for the Saints in 2018. After playing in just 72 snaps across five games as a rookie in 2018, Hill played 524 snaps this year, with a majority of his work coming on special teams. While he operated as a gadget player for New Orleans, he never turned into a reliable fantasy option given his limited touches on a week-to-week basis. He'll likely see a similar role in 2019, though he could move up to the No. 2 quarterback slot.

Higbee caught each of his four targets for 25 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 26-23 win over New Orleans in the NFC Championship Game.

Despite playing just 39 snaps to Gerald Everett's 47, the third-year tight end had a massive impact on the outcome of Sunday's contest, hitting pay dirt from one yard out in the third quarter and later catching two passes on the game-winning drive in overtime. Higbee managed just seven catches for 94 yards in five games during December, but he did enjoy a productive stretch the previous month and has now bounced back strong with six receptions in two playoff games. Higbee and Everett figure to continue sharing snaps and targets in the Super Bowl against New England.

Everett caught two of four targets for 50 yards in Sunday's 26-23 win over New Orleans in the NFC Championship Game.

Everett had the longest play of the day for either team, picking up 39 yards on a catch-and-run to convert a third down midway through the fourth quarter. It was a nice rebound from his zero-target outing against Dallas the previous week, buoyed by a 47-39 snap advantage over fellow tight end Tyler Higbee, who caught each of his four targets for 25 yards and a touchdown. The emergence of both players as receiving threats is one of the major reasons the Rams have bounced back to reach the Super Bowl after struggling through a late-season slump on offense in the absence of Cooper Kupp (torn ACL). Expect the timeshare to continue Feb. 3 against the Patriots.

Kelce caught three of five targets for 23 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 37-31 AFC Championship Game overtime loss to the Patriots.

Kelce was given extra attention by the Patriots defense, which held him to just a fraction of his production from last week's matchup against the Colts. He salvaged his day from a fantasy perspective with a one-yard touchdown reception on the first drive of the third quarter, but he contributed little else. Kelce compiled a line of 103 catches for 1,336 yards and 10 touchdowns during the regular season, positioning himself as one of the few elite fantasy tight ends. He'll enter 2019 as such and will look to deliver as one of Patrick Mahomes' top targets.

Gathers finished the regular season with three catches on seven targets for 45 yards.

While he suited up for 15 games -- the first regular-season action of his NFL career -- Gathers never played more than 18 snaps on offense, and six of his seven targets came before the Cowboys' Week 8 bye. He's still got the size and athleticism to potentially make an impact if everything comes together for him, but the former college basketball player remains a long shot to ever provide fantasy value.

Schultz played in 11 games in 2018, catching 12 passes on 17 targets for 116 yards.

The fourth-round pick out of Stanford didn't produce many highlights as a rookie, with modest single-game highs of three catches and 37 yards. Blake Jarwin's emergence late in the season will give Schultz an uphill climb in camp next summer if he wants to win the Cowboys' starting tight end spot even if he shows significant development, but with Geoff Swaim a free agent, there could still be plenty of snaps available for Schultz as the team's No. 2 TE.

Conklin caught five of seven targets for 77 yards over 16 games in 2018.

Conklin saw double-digit offensive snaps in only three games this season, but capitalized Week 15 by catching two of three targets for 53 yards. The 2018 fifth-round pick out of Central Michigan will look to secure the No. 2 tight end job behind starter Kyle Rudolph heading into his first full offseason in the league.

Akins caught 17 passes for 225 yards in 16 games as a rookie in 2018.

Akins had a relatively lackluster year as a pass catcher after joining the Texans as a third-round pick in last year's draft. He operated as a No. 3 tight end behind Ryan Griffin and Jordan Thomas for much of the year, which limited his snaps. He could see an uptick in play time in 2019 if he's able to round into form and build on the potential that made him a Day 2 selection in the draft.

Alie-Cox hauled in seven of his 13 targets for 133 yards and two touchdowns in nine regular-season games in 2018.

Alie-Cox saw most of his offensive workload only after Jack Doyle (hip) landed on injured reserve in Week 12. Even then, the 25-year-old was mostly used as a blocker behind top tight end Eric Ebron. Alie-Cox has one year remaining on his contract, and appears likely to return to Indianapolis in a reserve role in 2019.

Hooper was named to the NFC Pro Bowl roster Tuesday after Zach Ertz withdrew from the event, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.

Hooper enjoyed his best professional campaign by a mile in 2018, establishing new career highs in receptions (71), receiving yards (660) and touchdowns (four). As a reliable middle-of-the-field target for Matt Ryan, Hooper found himself well inside starting range among fantasy tight ends, but a plethora of options in the Falcons passing attack prevented him from becoming a truly elite option. With top wideouts Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu all set to return in 2019, Hooper appears poised to once again provide utility, albeit with a lower ceiling than most of the other top talents at the position.