NFL Player News

Kittle hauled in four of his six targets for 100 yards in Sunday's season-finale victory over the Rams.

The athletic rookie appeared to have regained the starting tight end role in San Francisco last week against the Jaguars, and Sunday's team-leading six targets and 100 receiving yards fortified that notion. Kittle battled a myriad of minor injuries and briefly lost his starting job to Garrett Celek, but it is no coincidence that his strong finish to the season (194 yards and a touchdown over last three games) coincided with the arrival of Jimmy Garoppolo. Both Celek and Kittle are under contract heading into the 2018 season, but the latter's superior athleticism and late-season momentum should propel him into the starting role barring any unforeseen circumstances. The aforementioned Garoppolo appears to have brought out the best in all of his receiving options, no matter how inconsistent they may have been prior to his arrival, so Kittle should be on fantasy owners' radars heading into the 2018 season, especially considering the Yakety-Sax nature of the tight end position in fantasy this past year.

Seals-Jones was spotted in a walking boot following Sunday's game against the Seahawks, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Even though the specificity and severity of the injury remains unclear, the Cardinals' season came to an end Sunday, which allows for plenty of healing time for Seals-Jones. The 22-year-old ends his rookie season with 201 yards and three touchdowns.

James, who caught both his targets for nine yards in Sunday's 28-24 win over the Browns, finishes up the 2017 season with 43 receptions (on 63 targets) for 372 yards and three touchdowns playing in all 16 games.

James came out of the gate strong, scoring two touchdowns on six catches in Week 1, but only managed to score or have more receptions just once more all season. The tight end position has taken a backseat role in Pittsburgh's juggernaut offense, and James will likely still be in a timeshare with Vance McDonald, limiting the fantasy value of both next season.

Kroft had six receptions for 53 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Sunday's 31-27 win over the Ravens.

Kroft exploded in the first half with five catches for 50 yards and both touchdowns, but fell silent in the second half with the rest of the Bengals offense. It's the first time since Week 9 the 25-year-old had more than 30 receiving yards and was his first touchdown since Week 12. The return of Tyler Eifert (back) in 2018 should limit Kroft's fantasy potential as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract.

Niklas (ankle) is listed as active Sunday in Seattle, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

One week removed from his first absence of the season, Niklas increased his practice participation enough to earn a full designation at Friday's practice. With his health intact heading into the final game of the campaign, he likely will earn the second-most offensive snaps among Cardinals tight ends behind Jermaine Gresham.

Vannett (back) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Vannett popped up on the injury report Friday after the back issue limited his participation in practice. While it's not believed to be a major concern for Vannett, he was evidently hurting too much to give it a go for the regular-season finale. Tyrone Swoopes will dress as the Seahawks' No. 3 tight end as a result.

Gray (hip) is active for Sunday's game against the Bills.

Gray has just one reception for 10 yards through 15 games this season, so his return will help mainly in the run-blocking department in Sunday's divisional matchup.

Kelce (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's Week 17 tilt against the Broncos.

As expected, Kelce will join Tyreek Hill as a healthy scratch for Sunday's finale, with Kansas City set to enter the postseason as the AFC's No. 4 seed. The star tight end's absence will afford Demetrius Harris the start against Denver.

O'Malley signed a contract to join the Giants' 53-man roster Saturday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

O'Malley spent less than a month on the Bills' practice squad earlier this season and was waived by the Raiders at roster cutdowns in September. Starting tight end Evan Engram (ribs) won't play Sunday against the Redskins, but O'Malley is unlikely to serve as more than a depth option.

The Cardinals have listed Niklas (ankle) as questionable for Sunday's season finale versus the Seahawks, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

NIklas was sidelined for last week's win over the Giants. He has seen his workload increase every day at practice throughout the week, so he appears to be trending in the right direction. Still, final confirmation on his status is unlikely to be determined until he tests his ankle out in warmups.