NFL Player News

Kittle was limited at Wednesday's practice due to an ankle injury, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Kittle returned from a one-game absence due to a leg issue in Sunday's 24-13 loss to Seattle, but only played 35 percent of the team's offensive snaps and caught one pass for 14 yards on two targets. It appears the rookie is stuck in a part-time role, as fellow tight end Garrett Celek caught both of his targets for seven yards while logging 68 percent of the snaps. The 49ers might consider upping Kittle's snap count if he gets back to full strength and is no longer hampered by the leg/ankle injury that's bothered him since early November.

The Dolphins were awarded Derby (shoulder) off waivers Wednesday, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Derby was waived from the Broncos' injured reserve Tuesday and probably won't play again this season. He caught 19 of 32 targets for 224 yards and two scores in nine games with Denver, serving as the team's top pass-catching tight end for most of the season. Derby presumably will have to fight for a spot on the Miami roster in 2018 even if he enters training camp at full strength.

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.