NFL Player News

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.

Freiermuth (hamstring) said Monday he expects to suit up versus the Rams in Week 7, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Freiermuth appears to have made significant strides in his recovery during Pittsburgh's bye. The starting tight end's hamstring strain sidelined him Week 5 versus the Ravens, but the timing of the Steelers' bye ultimately could mean that Freiermuth is only forced to miss one game. It will be worth closely monitoring his practice status when Wednesday's first official injury report of the week is released.

Uzomah didn't catch his lone target in Sunday's 20-14 win over the Eagles.

Tyler Conklin has at least three catches in each of New York's last five games, while Uzomah has just five targets all season. Uzomah and Jeremy Ruckert now have four catches apiece on the year, so the veteran has a tenuous grasp on the No. 2 tight end role heading into a Week 7 bye.

Ruckert caught his only target for eight yards in Sunday's 20-14 win over the Eagles.

Ruckert and C.J. Uzomah have combined for only nine targets through six games, while Tyler Conklin has been targeted 27 times to easily lead the Jets' tight ends. On the bright side, Ruckert has been efficient, catching all four of his targets.

Hurst caught one of three targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Dolphins.

Hurst has now finished with only one reception in three of Carolina's last four games heading into its bye week. Meanwhile, Tommy Tremble caught two passes for 25 yards in Sunday's loss while playing 31 snaps to Hurst's 36, one week after he caught his first TD of the season. While the veteran tight end remains atop the depth chart heading into the Panthers' Week 7 bye, Hurst's position seems tenuous.

Tremble caught both of his targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Dolphins.

Tremble had a highlight play, hurdling an attempted tackle after one of his receptions. With Ian Thomas (calf) sidelined, Tremble faces less competition for snaps behind starting tight end Hayden Hurst, who he was more productive than Sunday. Nonetheless, Tremble's overall stock is lukewarm at best in an underwhelming Panthers passing attack.

Granson brought in three of four targets for 67 yards in the Colts' 37-20 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.

Granson checked in second in receiving yardage for the Colts on the strength of a game-long 45-yard reception. The 2021 fourth-round pick has enjoyed a modest but steady presence in coach Shane Steichen's air attack over the first six games, with Sunday's production pushing his season line to 16-170-1 across six games. Granson profiles as Indianapolis' most consistent pass-catching option at tight end heading into a Week 7 home matchup against the Browns.

Waller (groin) finished with five receptions on eight targets for 43 yards in Sunday's 14-9 loss to the Bills.

Waller was able to suit up for Sunday's primetime matchup after picking up a groin injury in last week's loss to Miami. The 29-year-old did not appear limited by his injury, producing his third game with five or more receptions this season. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor nearly connected with his tight end for a touchdown in the closing moments of Sunday's loss, but the pass went off Waller's outstretched fingertips before hitting grass. The play did draw a pass interference flag, but the Giants squandered the ensuing play as time expired. Waller will attempt to score that elusive first touchdown of 2023 when the Giants host the Commanders next Sunday.

Gray reeled in both of his targets for 14 yards during Thursday's 19-8 victory against the Broncos.

While Gray is seeing a decent number of snaps consistently, it's simply the case among any targets not named Travis Kelce in the passing attack that the looks are going to be widely distributed. Gray has no more than three targets in a contest since the season opener, and there's little reason to expect any change on that front as long as Kelce is available.

LaPorta recorded four receptions on 11 targets for 36 yards in Sunday's 20-6 win over Tampa Bay.

LaPorta was questionable with a calf injury ahead of Sunday's matchup, though he managed to play through the issue. While he played a full role in the offense, he struggled to turn that into production as he turned in his lowest yardage total of his rookie year. Despite the uninspiring outcome, the positive takeaway is that LaPorta maintained a key role in the offense even with Detroit's full allotment of pass catchers available.