NFL Player News

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said Monday he feels either quarterback Carson Palmer (shoulder) or quarterback Drew Stanton (concussion) will be available Week 6 vs. Washington. Arians won't know until Wednesday, but if both players are out, then Logan Thomas will start Sunday.

Palmer has missed the last three games, while Stanton was injured Sunday against the Broncos.

If you weren't happy with Drew Stanton in Fantasy -- and you'd have to be pretty desperate at quarterback to have even given him a shot -- you probably won't like what rookie Logan Thomas has to offer.

His line Week 5 at Denver after entering the game for a concussed Stanton early in the third quarter pretty much tells the story. He completed an ill-advised throw to Andre Ellington that the explosive running back turned into an 81 yard touchdown, but otherwise, he was 0 for 7.

Thomas did have a strong showing in his preseason debut that earned him some admirers, but he's not the type of rookie who's expected to thrive at the NFL level right away. The Cardinals simply have nowhere else to turn with Carson Palmer and now Stanton injured.

Which may hasten the return of one of those quarterbacks. Having suffered a concussion, Stanton has to follow protocol, but Palmer has already missed four weeks, including a bye, with his bad shoulder. He doesn't seem like he's particularly close to returning, but he doesn't have a clear timetable either.

If those two continue to sit, though, Thomas should be your very last resort in Fantasy. 

Saints coach Sean Payton declined to comment Monday about the status of tight end Jimmy Graham, who left Sunday's game against the Bucs due to a shoulder injury, according to The Times-Picayune. The Saints are on a bye Week 6 and are back in action Week 7 at Detroit.

Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said Monday tight end Troy Niklas suffered a high ankle sprain Week 5 at Denver, according to the team's official website. Niklas will undergo an MRI.

Niklas has one catch for 16 yards through four games.

Patriots tight end Timothy Wright, acquired via trade right before the season, entered Week 5 with four catches for 35 scoreless yards. He exploded against the Bengals for five catches, 85 yards and a touchdown.

Wright caught each of his targets and proved dangerous down the seam, as he showed on a 17-yard, first-quarter score. The Patriots used two tight ends often Sunday night, and the formation paid big dividends. Wright and Rob Gronkowski combined for 11 catches, 185 yards and two scores.

Wright visits the Bills in Week 6.

Chiefs second-year tight end Travis Kelce found the end zone for the third straight game Week 5 at San Francisco. In the first quarter, Kelce took a quick screen 2 yards for the score. He caught two of three targets for 15 yards.

Kelce is on a bye Week 6.

As long as Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce can keep finding the end zone, as he did for the third straight game in Week 5 against the 49ers, Fantasy owners will have nothing to worry about.

Kelce had a pretty ineffective game overall Sunday, finishing with just 15 yards on two catches. However, he racked up seven Fantasy points thanks to his third touchdown of the season. He now has 41 Fantasy points on the season, 18 of which have come thanks to his touchdowns.

Kelce is not totally dependent on finding the end zone for Fantasy relevance, but is the difference between him being a solid Fantasy option and a must-start one. He is on pace for nine-plus touchdowns this season, a total only 11 tight ends have topped in one of their first two seasons. At this point, you cannot take Kelce out of your lineup, but he might be in line for some ugly lines if he is kept out of the end zone. 

After he left in the first half Week 5 against Tampa Bay with a sprained shoulder, Saints tight end Jimmy Graham's availability for the next few weeks is in question. Because the Saints have a bye in Week 6, it's possible he won't miss any games, but that's obviously a best-case scenario.

We should know more in the days ahead, but if you own Graham in Fantasy, your only choice is to wait it out. You're not going to find an adequate replacement on the waiver wire, and though you may be a little disappointed with his rate of touchdowns so far, his role in the Saints offense is such that he could go for multiple scores any given week.

Making a trade, whether for a replacement tight end or to unload Graham, is putting the cart before the horse. I wouldn't advise either unless you get an offer you can't refuse. Even with this injury, I expect Graham to perform like a first-rounder the rest of the way, so dealing him for less than that would be selling him short.

If he does miss time, Benjamin Watson is the likely in-house replacement, and he might be one of your better choices if Dwayne Allen, Jordan Reed, Niles Paul and Jared Cook are all off the board.

Through two games, Zach Ertz looked exactly like the star-in-the-making everyone hoped for in the offseason. After another pedestrian performance in Week 5, however, the young Eagles tight end is much tougher to pin down.

Ertz has managed 96 passing yards over the last three games combined, a far cry from the 163 yards he racked up in the first pair of games. A big shift has been the lack of big plays -- he is averaging just 10.7 yards per reception over the last three, compared to 23.3 prior.

At this point, the first two games look a bit more like the outlier, especially since the Eagles' passing game has lacked for big plays recently. Ertz certainly has the talent to make an impact, but consistency remains an issue for the second-year pro. Focus on playing him when the matchup is in his favor, rather than penciling him into the lineup every week.  

The Jets receivers had an incredibly hard time putting anything together Week 5.

Offensively, the Jets were a mess in the passing game. Geno Smith was benched after an awful half, and Michael Vick wasn't much better. Both players combined for just 60 passing yards.

The biggest performance in the passing game was by Jeremy Kerley. Kerley gained 24 yards on three receptions. He led the team in receiving yards. Jace Amaro finished second, gaining 19 yards on three catches. Both Jeff Cumberland and Greg Salas hauled in two passes for 12 yards. David Nelson had one reception for 9 yards.

The group will hope for more Week 6 against the Broncos.