NFL Player News

Johnson gathered two of three targets for 26 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 47-10 victory versus the Panthers.

Johnson had one of the standout plays of the game when he made a toe-tapping 16-yard touchdown catch in the right corner of the end zone. The 6-foot-4 pass catcher actually wound up with fewer targets and receptions than fellow tight end Foster Moreau, who caught all four of his targets for 43 yards and a touchdown before exiting with a head injury. Johnson totaled 34 more targets despite playing two fewer games than Moreau last season, and the former was assumed to be the TE1 heading into the season opener. Meanwhile, versatile tight end/quarterback Taysom Hill worked more as a rushing threat out of the backfield Sunday, logging five carries and two targets. Moreau's status is also now up in the air for next Sunday's road game versus Dallas. When he is healthy again, it will be worth monitoring how Moreau, Johnson and Hill are deployed under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak moving forward.

Parkinson finished with four receptions on five targets for 47 yards in Sunday's narrow defeat to the Lions.

Parkinson signed with the Rams this past offseason to become the team's starting tight end after spending the first four years of his career with the Seahawks. The 25-year-old ceded just one target to backup Davis Allen while former starter Tyler Higbee (knee) remains on the active/PUP list with no current timetable for a potential return. Parkinson's current situation as the offensive-minded Rams' only experienced tight end puts him in a positive fantasy position for next Sunday's tilt against Arizona and potentially the first half of the regular season.

LaPorta caught four of five targets for 45 yards in Sunday's 26-20 overtime win over the Rams.

LaPorta was quiet for the majority of Week 1, though he logged an 18-yard reception on Detroit's final possession of regulation, which ended with a game-tying field goal from Jake Bates. Quarterback Jared Goff didn't have the most effective night, limiting the tight end's overall upside against Los Angeles. LaPorta will look to get more involved in Week 2 when the Lions host the Buccaneers, a team against whom the tight end caught nine of 11 targets for 65 yards in the divisional round of the postseason in 2023.

Bowers recorded six receptions on eight targets for 58 yards in Sunday's 22-10 loss to the Chargers.

Despite recently overcoming a foot injury, Bowers led the Raiders in both targets and receptions in his pro debut. His longest catch of the day came in the middle of the second quarter as he worked over the middle of the field on a play-action pass. He was otherwise targeted primarily underneath by Gardner Minshew, but it's clear that Bowers will play a key role in the Raiders' offense in his rookie campaign.

Everett lost one yard on one reception in the Bears' 24-17 win over the Titans on Sunday.

Everett matched fellow tight end Cole Kmet with a single target while Caleb Williams attempted 29 passes. Until the tight end sees a consistent increase in opportunity, his fantasy value may be minimal.

Kmet caught his only target for four yards in the Bears' 24-17 win over the Titans on Sunday.

Caleb Williams threw 25 of 29 passes to his top-four wide receivers, so there were very few targets left for other Chicago players. Also, with Kmet sharing the field with fellow tight end Gerald Everett, who also had one target, it seems unlikely that Kmet will match the 84 targets he's averaged over the last three seasons.

Sims played all seven of his snaps on special teams in the Packers' 34-29 loss to the Eagles on Friday.

Outside of situations in which the Packers want to get an extra blocker on the field, Sims will likely struggle to find a role on offense while both of Green Bay's top two tight ends, Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave, are available. Sims appeared in all 17 regular-season games as a rookie in 2023 and finished with a 4-21-1 receiving line on six targets.

Ferguson (knee) is believed to have avoided an ACL tear based on initial tests, and X-rays on his knee came back negative Sunday, but he will have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury he suffered in Sunday's 33-17 win over the Browns, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Ferguson isn't out of the woods, but at least he seems to have avoided a season-ending injury to his ACL. A recovery timeline will likely be established after additional testing clarifies the nature and extent of Ferguson's injury. His next chance to take the field will be Sept. 15 against the Saints.

Smythe failed to secure any of his three targets during Sunday's 20-17 win over Jacksonville.

Smythe interestingly drew one more target than offseason addition Jonnu Smith, though the latter TE was able to secure one of those looks for seven yards. Though Smythe is the better blocker and Smith the better pass catcher, Miami seems willing to deploy both tight ends relatively interchangeably. Smythe, though, notably lacks the YAC abilities that Smith has previously demonstrated, so he'll warrant fantasy consideration only in the deepest of formats Week 2 versus Buffalo on Thursday Night Football.

Smith secured one of two targets for seven yards in the Dolphins' 20-17 win over the Jaguars on Sunday.

Smith actually had less targets than fellow TE Durham Smythe, who drew three looks from Tua Tagovailoa but wasn't able to log a single catch. Considering his YAC abilities and the two-year, $10 million contract Smith signed this offseason, he seemed a better candidate for pass-catching work than Smythe, even if both always projected to split positional reps. More productive days could still materialize for Smith, but Miami's aerial attack will always filter through top WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who each cleared 100 yards versus Jacksonville. Smith will look to make more of an impact against Buffalo on Thursday Night Football in Week 2.