NFL Player News

Traylor snatched one of four targets for a gain of 34 yards during Sunday's 21-14 loss to Oakland.

Traylor's lone reception set up Denver's first touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter. Traylor has developed quickly in Denver's offense with a dearth of competition around him. The Wisconsin product, again, was tops among Denver tight ends with 33 offensive snaps and figures to see plenty of more as the team looks to see what it has in young talent moving forward.

Vannett scored his first career touchdown Sunday, catching two of four targets for 29 yards in a win against the 49ers.

Vannett got more playing time after Luke Willson was knocked out of the game with a concussion. Even if Willson does not play Week 13, Vannett likely won't see more than a few targets, and the goal-line targets will first go to Jimmy Graham.

Derby (shoulder) was waived from injured reserve by the Broncos on Tuesday, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports.

Derby was cut after the team placed him on IR last week. He played in nine games for the Broncos, recording 19 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns. However, he's unlikely to garner much interest from other teams until his shoulder is fully healed.

Niklas notched 27 of the Cardinals' 73 offensive snaps during Sunday's 27-24 victory versus the Jaguars.

A 2014 second-round selection, Niklas has largely disappointed due to a jam-packed medical chart, accumulating 15 catches across 37 contests. Two of those grabs came Sunday, but he appears to have found himself between a rock and a hard place as his rookie contract enters its final month. Jermaine Gresham continues to start and earn the most snaps, no matter who is under center. With Blaine Gabbert in that role the last two games, undrafted rookie TE Ricky Seals-Jones has torn up the competition to the tune of seven receptions (on 11 targets) for 126 yards and three touchdowns. The presence of Gresham and the Gabbert-Seals-Jones connection will continue to hold down any potential held by Niklas.

Allen was on the field for 38 of 70 snaps on offense in Sunday's 35-17 win over the Dolphins.

With Martellus Bennett (shoulder/hamstring) inactive Sunday, Allen saw added work Week 12, but it only yielded him one catch for two yards. Though Allen could conceivably see the odd red-zone target down the road, he's not a fantasy lineup option as long as Rob Gronkowski is available.

Higbee caught all three of his targets for 48 yards during Sunday's 26-20 win over New Orleans.

The bulk of Higbee's yardage came on a 38-yard reception where quarterback Jared Goff found the sophomore tight end in the clear. With just seven receptions for 83 yards and a single touchdown through four games since Los Angeles' Week 8 bye, Higbee offers very limited fantasy upside. It is worth noting that he's consistently played more offensive snaps and garnered more targets than rookie tight end Gerald Everett, though.

Kittle (leg) saw just two targets against the Seahawks on Sunday, grabbing one for 14 yards in a losing effort.

The 49ers' primary tight end returned from a two-week (one game) layoff, but -- like many San Francisco receivers -- was held in check Sunday. C.J. Beathard dealt with heavy pressure all game long, which normally would benefit Kittle's short-to-intermediate routes, but it was actually Carlos Hyde (13 targets) who reaped the benefits of the rookie's dump-off passes. His pedestrian stat line won't send anyone rushing to the waiver wire, but the athletic rookie could enter deep-league territory against a banged-up Bears linebacker corps if Jimmy Garoppolo takes over as the team's starting quarterback next week.

James caught three passes for 32 yards in Pittsburgh's 31-28 win over Green Bay on Sunday night.

After seeing eight targets in Week 11, and with Vance McDonald (ankle) inactive, James might've been given high expectations by some fantasy owners, but despite doing plenty with his four targets against the Packers, he failed to deliver anything memorable. Adding to the frustration, third-string tight end Xavier Grimble vultured a one-yard touchdown catch on his only target. Don't expect much from James in Week 13 against a Cincinnati defense that has held opposing tight ends to under 60 yards per game and just two scores this season.

Seals-Jones caught four of six targets for 72 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-24 win over the Jaguars.

Once a five-star college recruit, Seals-Jones burst onto the scene the previous week in a 31-21 loss to the Texans with three catches for 54 yards and two touchdowns on five targets, despite logging only eight snaps on offense. He again made the most of limited playing time in Sunday's win, first breaking free up the seam for a 26-yard gain on a 3rd-and-9, and then doing the same for a 29-yard touchdown. The undrafted rookie is making a strong case to take more playing time from starter Jermaine Gresham, whose work as a blocker makes him a favorite of Bruce Arians. While Gresham's skill set is the more natural fit in his system, Arians likely will find a way to keep Seals-Jones involved. The coach has expressed displeasure about his team's lack of pass-catching weapons a handful of times this season, and the snare seems to have a connection with new starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Seals-Jones at least seems to have earned a regular spot on obvious passing downs as the Cardinals prepare for Week 13 against the Rams.

Hooper brought in three of five targets for 38 yards in Sunday's 34-20 win over the Buccaneers.

The second-year tight end once again had a modest role on an afternoon that was dominated by the remarkable exploits of Julio Jones. Hooper has at least been seeing a steady target share on the majority of weeks, which has helped him notch at least two catches in five straight games, as well as in seven of the last eight overall. The 23-year-old has yet to flash much yardage upside outside of the opener versus the Bears, but his three touchdowns on the season and volume of between five and six targets in four of the last five contests is encouraging. He'll look to make an impact in the Week 13 showdown against the Vikings.