NFL Player News

Mayer brought in six of seven targets for 32 yards in the Raiders' 27-13 win over the Dolphins on Sunday.

Filling the No. 1 tight end role due to Brock Bowers (knee) being sidelined, Mayer set the pace for the Raiders in targets while also tying for the team lead in receptions. Mayer gained 14 of his yards on one catch, so he was mired in an extreme short-area role for the majority of the afternoon. Nevertheless, he's proven capable of offering useful production as Bowers' fill-in on multiple occasions, although Mayer could revert to his usual reserve role in light of reports that Bowers could be ready for his season debut as early as next Sunday's Week 2 road matchup against the Chargers.

Hockenson caught four of five targets for 36 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 39-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.

Justin Jefferson easily paced the Vikings with nine targets on 24 total pass attempts, but Hockenson was second on the team with his five looks. His 16-yard touchdown in the third quarter pulled Minnesota within five points to make it 22-17 in favor of Green Bay. Hockenson averaged a career-low 29.2 yards per game last season, but improved quarterback play and being another year removed from ACL surgery has the veteran tight end potentially undervalued in fantasy this season.

Schultz caught four of eight targets for 35 yards in Sunday's 36-31 loss to the Bills.

Schultz's eight targets were second on the team to Nico Collins' 10 on 38 pass attempts by C.J. Stroud. Schultz doesn't offer much big-play ability at 30 years old, but he's a reliable target in the middle of the field and saw his floor raise when Jayden Higgins went down with a season-ending torn ACL over the summer. The veteran tight end will be a borderline TE1/2 next Sunday against the Bengals.

Waller secured both of his targets for 28 yards in the Panthers' 59-37 loss to the Bears on Sunday.

Waller actually had a one-yard touchdown called back on a penalty on the Panthers' opening drive. Carolina used all three of Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans and Waller pretty heavily against Chicago, and both Tremble and Waller each ran 18 routes. Waller isn't going to be a full-time player, but it's clear he's going to be featured in the scoring area. He's a touchdown-or-bust fantasy bet most weeks and gets a road date with the Falcons next Sunday.

Strange caught two of three targets for 23 yards and a touchdown Sunday in a 34-10 victory versus Cleveland.

Strange had a relatively quiet day in terms of targets and yardage, but he finished with a fine fantasy total on the strength of a 14-yard connection with Trevor Lawrence in the second quarter. Strange seems to have carried over the red-zone chemistry with Lawrence that developed late last year, when all three of his scores came over the Jaguars' final six regular-season games. The 2023 second-round draft pick logged a career-best 540 receiving yards last season and is positioned to be Jacksonville's top tight end again in 2026.

Helm caught four of five targets for 28 yards in the Titans' 23-10 loss to the Jets on Sunday.

Helm's five targets trailed both Carnell Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson, as the duo drew six targets apiece to lead the team in Week 1. Even more importantly for Helm's fantasy prospects, he ran 22 routes to Daniel Bellinger's five, suggesting he's well ahead of Bellinger on the depth chart as a pass catcher. Helm will be a lower-end TE2 next Sunday against the Eagles.

McBride brought in nine of 12 targets for 95 yards and a touchdown in the Cardinals' 26-14 win over the Chargers on Sunday.

McBride was in the familiar position of leading the Cardinals across the board in receptions, receiving yards and targets while also being on the receiving end of Jacoby Brissett's one touchdown pass. McBride recorded his three-yard scoring grab early in the fourth quarter, a critical touchdown considering it extended what had been a narrow 16-14 lead for Arizona. The talented tight end's performance was all the more impressive considering the presence of All-Pro safety Derwin James on the other side, and McBride will look to carry over his significant season-opening momentum into a Week 2 divisional home clash with the defending champion Seahawks next Sunday.

Kraft caught three of six targets for 65 yards in Sunday's 39-22 loss to the Vikings.

Kraft avoided the Week 1 injury report in his return from a torn ACL suffered Week 9 of last season. He finished third on the team in receiving yards in his return, behind wide receivers Christian Watson (147 yards) and Matthew Golden (95 yards). Kraft is poised to maintain a prominent role Week 2 against the Jets.

Goedert caught four of five targets for 77 yards and two touchdowns Sunday in a 24-22 victory versus Washington.

Goedert looked spry in the first game of his ninth NFL campaign, leading Philadelphia in catches and receiving yards. Even more impressively, he accounted for two of his team's three scores, hauling in a 17-yard TD in the second quarter and a 43-yarder midway through the fourth. Goedert carried over a strong finish to the 2025 campaign, when he caught five touchdowns over his final four contests (including one in the Eagles' wild-card loss to San Francisco). He tallied a career-best 11 touchdowns last year, and despite Philadelphia running a new offense this season, Goedert appears to still be a magnet for Jalen Hurts' throwing scores.

Fannin brought in two of three targets for 21 yards in the Browns' 34-10 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.

Deshaun Watson mostly struggled against an aggressive Jaguars defense that sacked him five times and picked him off once, so Fannin's generally disappointing numbers don't look quite as bleak within that context. The talented second-year tight end still is projected to remain a critical piece in the Browns' passing game, and Fannin could see a larger role as soon as a Week 2 road matchup against the Buccaneers.