NFL Player News

Pruitt caught his lone target for 22 yards during Sunday's 21-19 win over the Texans.

Pruitt's big play set up a go-ahead touchdown for the Falcons in the fourth quarter. The veteran tight end has garnered a target in three straight games, but he doesn't have fantasy value moving forward.

Smith caught six of seven targets for 67 yards during Sunday's 21-19 win over the Texans. He also lost a fumble.

Smith caught six passes for a second straight game and has totaled 21 receptions for 246 yards over the past four games. Head coach Arthur Smith mentioned during Week 5 prep that Kyle Pitts may not be back to 100 percent following a season-ending knee injury last year, which has allowed the veteran Smith to claim a larger role than expected to begin 2023. Pitts submitted his best game of the season versus Houston, finishing with team highs in targets (11), receptions (seven) and receiving yards (87), but Smith still was heavily involved in the passing attack and played eight more offensive snaps than Pitts. They will likely continue to limit each other's fantasy ceilings, but Sunday's outing showed they can both be successful in Atlanta's tight-end heavy offensive scheme.

Washington failed to secure either of his two targets during the Steelers' 17-10 win over the Ravens on Sunday.

Washington saw increased playing time Sunday with Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) sidelined, as he was on the field for 70 percent of the team's offensive snaps. However, the rookie third-rounder was targeted just twice and was unable to record a reception. The Steelers have a Week 6 bye before a meeting with the Rams on Sunday, Oct. 22, and Washington's role against L.A. will likely depend on whether Freiermuth is able to recover by then.

Heyward secured three of four targets for 23 yards during the Steelers' 17-10 win over Baltimore on Sunday.

Heyward's snap count increased during Sunday's victory with Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) sidelined, but rookie Darnell Washington outpaced Heyward by playing 70 percent of the team's offensive snaps. Heyward was on the field for 56 percent but was able to log a season-high three receptions, while Washington was held without a catch. Heyward has had limited offensive production this year, with all of his catches coming at times when Freiermuth was unavailable. The Steelers have a Week 6 bye before facing the Rams in Week 7, and Heyward will likely have a limited role on offense if Freiermuth is able to recover during the layoff.

Turner caught his lone target for nine yards in Thursday's 40-20 loss in Chicago.

Logan Thomas put up a 9-77-1 receiving line on a team-high 11 targets -- a reminder that Turner could offer some fantasy value if his teammate misses time. Turner was targeted seven times in the one game Thomas sat out, and the Commanders surprisingly rank among the league leaders in cumulative TE targets (and target share) despite having a strong WR group and a weak TE unit on paper.

Bates caught both his targets for 19 yards in Thursday's 40-20 loss to Chicago.

Bates mostly works as a blocker even when starting tight end Logan Thomas misses time, with Cole Turner being the replacement on passing downs. Thomas played in this one and led the team with a 9-77-1 receiving line, as Sam Howell continues to pepper his TEs with short targets over the middle and in the flats.

Jordan played two offensive snaps and was not targeted in Sunday's 21-19 loss to Atlanta.

Sunday was the third time in five games without a target for Jordan, who's played just 41 snaps (14.8 percent share) through five weeks. He's a holdover from two regimes ago and has not been an important piece under current head coach DeMeco Ryans. Jordan's touchdown catch Week 3 will likely prove to be an outlier over time.

Quitoriano caught his lone target for 22 yards in Sunday's 21-19 loss to the Falcons in Week 5.

Quitoriano made his first catch since Week 1 on just his third target of the season. Houston's tight ends garnered a season-high 11 targets in the loss, but 10 of them went to starter Dalton Schultz. Quitoriano will continue on as the top backup ahead of Brevin Jordan, who played just two snaps Sunday.

Conklin had four receptions on five targets for 67 yards in Sunday's 31-21 win over the Broncos.

Conklin finished first in receiving yardage for the Jets in a game where neither team reached 200 passing yards. The veteran tight end has quietly contributed 50 or more yards in three of his last four contests. Conklin has yet to hit pay dirt this season, something he will attempt to correct against the Eagles next Sunday.

Ferguson caught all three of his targets for 28 yards in Sunday's 42-10 loss to the 49ers.

Ferguson's second straight game with a 100 percent catch rate was one of the few bright spots for Dallas' offense, as the entire unit struggled to move the ball against San Francisco's stingy defense. Unfortunately for his fantasy managers, the tight end also experienced his lowest target total through five games. Ferguson had reached seven targets in three of his previous four contests, so expect him to continue serving as one the Cowboys' primary receiving options behind CeeDee Lamb against the Chargers next Monday.