NFL Player News

Johnson (calf) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game at Indianapolis.

Johnson is cleared to return from a four-game absence after upgrading to full practice participation Friday. He'll likely return his role as the Saints' top pass-caching tight end, a job that had largely been filled by Taysom Hill (chest) in recent weeks.

Musgrave (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Minnesota, with head coach Matt LaFleur suggesting Friday that he's been impressed by the tight end's progress, Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports. "He's one tough sucker now," LaFleur said. "I don't think too many guys would've been able to come back that quickly from what happened to him."

Fantasy managers should view the tight end as a game-time decision ahead of the 1 p.m. ET kickoff this Sunday, considering LaFleur's optimism didn't extend to making any predictions about the tight end's availability this Sunday. Fellow rookie Tucker Kraft played every snap on offense last week after Musgrave's departure early in the fourth quarter of a 19-17 loss to the Broncos, but that won't necessarily be the plan if the Packers are forced to play without their starting tight end again. Musgrave was in a walking boot earlier this week before returning to practice Friday as a limited participant, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.

Hockenson (foot) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's matchup with the Packers.

Hockenson's availability comes as no surprise after the foot injury cost him just a snap or three during a 22-17 win over the 49ers on Monday. He finished the game with season highs for catches (11), yards (86) and targets (12), pushing his per-game averages up to 6.7 receptions for 55.7 yards. The volume alone makes Hockenson a strong No. 1 tight end for fantasy teams, even with his average depth of target sitting at a career-low 6.3 and his red-zone target share at a surprisingly low 10.5 percent. The latter number will likely rise as the season progresses, particularly given that target-hogging wideout Justin Jefferson (hamstring) will miss at least two more games while on injured reserve.

Waller (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets.

Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com relays that the Giants have confidence Waller will be available this weekend, even though the tight end was a limited participant in practices Wednesday through Friday. Waller is coming off a season-best 8-97-1 receiving line in last week's win over the Commanders and is on track to again serve as the top target for quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who will make a third consecutive start in place of Daniel Jones (neck). Jones still doesn't have medical clearance for contact and appears in serious danger of missing more games beyond Week 8.

Whyle (concussion) is listed as out for Sunday's game versus Atlanta, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Even with the benefit of a Week 7 bye, Whyle will have to sit out at least one game as he recovers from the concussion he sustained in Week 6 against Baltimore. Kevin Rader will likely see increased snaps in Whyle's stead in Week 8.

Granson (concussion) won't play Sunday against the Saints, JJ Stankevitz of the Colts' official site reports.

Granson was inactive for the Colts' Week 7 loss to the Browns after sustaining a concussion Week 6, and he'll sit out another contest after evidently having not cleared the NFL's five-step concussion protocol. In Granson's continued absence, Drew Ogletree and Mo Alie-Cox should be in line to pick up most of the snaps at tight end.

Granson (concussion) returned to practice Friday in a non-contact jersey, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Granson is taking part in practice for the first time since suffering a concussion late in a Week 6 loss to the Jaguars. While Granson was sidelined for last week's 39-38 loss to Cleveland, the Colts mostly used Drew Ogletree as their tight end for clear passing situations.

Kincaid brought in five of seven targets for 65 yards and a touchdown in the Bills' 24-18 win over the Buccaneers on Thursday night.

Kincaid posted a career-best 8-75 line in Week 7 against the Patriots, and he nearly eclipsed the yardage mark in particular during Thursday's second straight strong showing. The rookie also scored his first career touchdown on a 22-yard grab late in the second quarter, and he'll take a stellar 13-140 line on 15 targets over the last two games into a Week 9 road showdown against the Bengals on Sunday night, Nov. 5.

Fant (toe) practiced fully Thursday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

One day removed from being limited due to a toe issue Wednesday, Fant handled all on-field reps. Assuming he avoids a designation when the Seahawks release their final Week 8 injury report Friday, he'll be vying for snaps at tight end with Colby Parkinson and Will Dissly, which so far hasn't lent itself to too much production for the fifth-year pro (12-194-0 on 13 targets).

Njoku (knee) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Njoku has dealt with a variety of health concerns this season but still made himself available on game days, seeing at least 68 percent of snaps in all six of the Browns' contests. His output has been modest (24-216-0 on 31 targets), and after sitting out Wednesday's session this week due to a knee issue, he's on a path to being available Sunday in Seattle by returning to practice one day later. Njoku's availability for Week 8 could be confirmed as soon as the release of Friday's injury report.