NFL Player News

Paulsen was released by the 49ers on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Paulsen was released in order to make room for two defensive line signings after the team placed Arik Armstead (hand) on injured reserve. Paulsen didn't see many offensive reps with the 49ers this season, spending most of his time instead on special teams.

Niklas nabbed both of his targets for 20 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-33 win over Tampa Bay.

Niklas helped Arizona build its lead in the first quarter with a 14-yard touchdown reception, his first score since Week 8 of the 2015 season. If that last sentence wasn't a big clue, Niklas should not be on your radar. The former second-round pick had just two catches this season coming into Sunday's game and plays in an Arizona offense that does not feature much action for his position.

Smith hauled in his lone target for 10 yards in Monday's 36-22 win over the Colts.

Smith isn't a big enough part of Tennessee's passing game yet to be considered more than a touchdown-dependent flier. He was targeted on only one of returning quarterback Marcus Mariota's (hamstring) 32 passes while five separate receivers all had at least four balls thrown their way. Despite scoring two touchdowns already, the rookie tight end is yet to gain more than 30 yards in a game.

Njoku gained zero yards on two receptions (five targets) during Sunday's 33-17 loss to Houston.

The Texans completely shut down Njoku, as the rookie tight end failed to gain a single yard, despite hauling in a couple of catches. Njoku has three touchdowns in six games, but the former Miami Hurricane is still losing snaps to Seth DeValve, who caught his first touchdown of the year Sunday. Until Njoku begins to dominate the snap count, he's only worth a stash in deeper leagues.

Allen was on the field for six of a possible 68 snaps on offense in Sunday's 24-17 win over the Jets.

After logging a season-high 50 snaps (out of a possible 74) with Rob Gronkowski out in Week 5, Allen reverted to a reserve role Sunday. In any case, Allen has yet to catch a pass this season, thus putting him well off the fantasy radar as long as Gronkowski is healthy.

Hooper played 91 percent of the Falcons' offensive snaps in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Dolphins, ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure reports.

Hooper's snap share fell between 70 and 80 percent in each of Atlanta's first four games. The uptick doesn't seem related to Mohamed Sanu's absence with a hamstring injury, as Hooper's extra work came at the expense of No. 2 tight end Levine Toilolo, who logged just 15 snaps after handling 29, 28, 35 and 29 in the previous games. Hooper established new career-high marks with seven catches and nine targets, but he only managed 48 yards and was held to a long gain of 11. He could get a comparable snap share Week 7 against New England, even if Sanu is ready to return.

Engram caught five of seven targets for 82 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 23-10 victory over the Broncos.

Engram effectively served as Eli Manning's No. 1 receiver Sunday in the absence of Odell Beckham (ankle), Brandon Marshall (ankle) and Sterling Shepard (ankle). By day's end, the rookie tight end finished with four more targets than the next-busiest receiver and ultimately turned his frequent opportunities into a productive fantasy outing -- which was particularly encouraging to see after he dropped a goose egg in Week 5. While it's possible Shepard becomes the apple of Manning's eye before long, Engram is positioned to be one of his quarterback's first reads every time the Giants look to throw and should be in store for a hefty workload throughout the rest of the season.

Kelce caught four of seven targets for 37 yards in Sunday's 19-13 loss to the Steelers.

Kelce, who was held in check for most of the game, padded his totals with a 23-yard gain late in the fourth quarter. He tied for the team lead in targets but was unable to break loose against a speedy Pittsburgh defensive unit, falling short of five receptions for just the second time in 2017. Despite Kelce's quiet game, he is already up to 33 catches on the season, making him one of the most heavily utilized tight ends in the NFL. He will have the opportunity to bounce back Thursday against the Raiders.

James did not record a catch in Sunday's 19-13 win over the Chiefs.

Ben Roethlisberger threw just 25 passes, and the only target to James was erased by a penalty. He remains touchdown-dependent and faces a Cincinnati defense in Week 7 that has allowed opposing tight ends to reach paydirt just once this season.

Higbee caught one pass for no gain on three targets in Sunday's 27-17 win over the Jaguars.

After exploding for four catches and 98 yards against Seattle the previous week, Higbee came crashing all the way back down to earth in a game that saw Jared Goff attempt just 21 passes. Overall passing volume was part of the issue, but Higbee has proven to be unreliable even when Goff airs it out. The 2016 fourth-round pick already has three games this season with less than five receiving yards. He nonetheless figures to be a bit more active Week 7 against the Cardinals.