NFL Player News

Johnson (calf) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated practice report, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Johnson hasn't played since Week 3. In his Week 6 absence against the Texans, Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau and Jimmy Graham handled tight end duties for New Orleans. Hill turned eight targets into a 7-49-0 line, and Moreau caught all four of his looks for 33 yards. Graham wasn't targeted in the loss.

Thomas caught his lone target for a two-yard gain in Sunday's 24-16 win over Atlanta.

Thomas saw at least three targets in each of his previous four games this year, including 11 the week before in a loss to Chicago. He should see multiple targets Week 7 against the Giants but isn't an especially trustworthy fantasy option even after a solid start to the season.

Parkinson caught three of four targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 17-13 loss to the Bengals.

Parkinson handled 44 percent of the offensive snaps, finishing slightly ahead of both Will Dissly and Noah Fant. The 6-foot-7 tight end has averaged 31.2 offensive snaps per game this season. He has leveraged that usage into nine catches on 14 targets for 103 yards and no touchdowns through five games.

Fant caught his lone target for a nine-yard gain in Sunday's 17-13 loss to the Bengals.

After producing at least 40 receiving yards in three straight games, Fant logged a season-low 41 percent snap share and finished with just one catch. Both Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson played more than Fant, too. The Seahawks' tight-end room is frustrating and will be inconsistent for fantasy purposes this season as long as the trio remains healthy.

Coach Shane Steichen said Monday that Granson (concussion) has been placed in the NFL's five-step protocol for brain injuries, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.

Granson demonstrated concussion symptoms after Sunday's 37-20 loss to the Jaguars in which he secured three of four targets for 67 yards. The 2021 fourth-round pick will need to gain full medical clearance before suiting up for another NFL game, so his status will need to be monitored heading into a Week 7 matchup against the Browns.

Smythe failed to secure his only target during Sunday's 42-21 win over the Panthers.

Smythe's involvement in Miami's passing game has sharply declined recently, as he has just one target across his last two appearances. That may, in part, be due to the fact that UDFA tight end Julian Hill has steadily increased his snap share, having logged a season-high 45 percent of offensive snaps Sunday, while Smythe dropped down to 68 percent. Smythe's low fantasy floor means he's likely best left out of lineups looking ahead to a Week 7 road matchup against the Eagles.

Gesicki caught all three of his targets for 28 yards in Sunday's 21-17 loss to the Raiders.

While the Patriots were without wideouts JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion) and Demario Douglas (concussion), Gesicki saw an expanded role in the New England passing attack. He played 36 of the team's 60 snaps on offense, more than doubling up his snap total (17) from the Patriots' Week 5 loss to the Saints. As long as Smith-Schuster and Douglas are able to return in short order and as long as top tight end Hunter Henry remains healthy, Gesicki's fantasy upside will remain modest. Through six games to date, Gesicki has combined for 15 catches (on 20 targets) for 144 yards, while Henry has recorded an 18-183-2 receiving line in that same span.

Henry, who was on the field for 37 of a possible 60 snaps on offense in Sunday's 21-17 loss to the Raiders, caught one of his three targets in the contest for seven yards, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Henry left the game briefly after suffering an ankle injury, but he was able to return. With that in mind, the tight end is a candidate to appear on the Patriots' Week 7 injury report. Over his last two games, Henry (who scored TDs in each of his first two outings this season) has combined for one catch on five targets, and until he starts seeing more consistent looks in the team's passing game once again, he'll remain a hit-or-miss fantasy option.

Pruitt caught one of two targets for nine yards during Sunday's 24-16 loss to the Commanders.

Pruitt has garnered at least one target in four straight games, totaling three receptions for 41 yards during that stretch. However, barring an occasional touchdown, the veteran tight end doesn't have fantasy value moving forward.

Smith caught four of five targets for 36 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 24-16 loss to the Commanders.

After not garnering a target in the season opener, Smith has been one of the most consistent options in the Falcons' passing attack. Over the last five games, he's caught 25 of 32 targets for 282 yards and secured his first touchdown of the season in Week 6. If the veteran can keep this pace up, he's in store for a career year from a yardage standpoint and will remain a strong PPR option. However, he'll have to keep finding the end zone if he's going to remain on the cusp of fantasy relevancy in non-PPR leagues.