NFL Player News

Hesse caught one of two targets for nine yards during Sunday's 19-13 loss versus the Commanders.

With Kyle Pitts (knee) out, Hesse played 35 offensive snaps, which put him as the top tight end over MyCole Pruitt (32) and Anthony Firkser (22). However, as expected, Hesse wasn't heavily involved in Atlanta's passing attack. MyCole Pruitt will likely emerge as the top pass-catching tight end in Pitts' absence, but Atlanta's passing attack remains limited due to Arthur Smith's run-first mindset.

Firkser secured his only target for 16 yards during Sunday's 19-13 loss against Washington.

With Kyle Pitts (knee) sidelined, Firkser saw 22 offensive snaps, which put him as the No. 3 tight end behind Parker Hesse (35) and MyCole Pruitt (32). All three tight ends caught at least one pass, but Pruitt secured Marcus Mariota's lone touchdown. As long as Pitts remains out, all three tight ends figure to garner increased roles, but Pruitt will likely remain the top pass catcher among the trio.

Johnson did not haul in either of his two targets during Sunday's 13-0 loss to the 49ers.

Johnson was held without a catch for just the second time this season. While the 6-foot-4 tight end tied his second-fewest targets of the year, he did have an additional target wiped off the board by a roughing the passer penalty absorbed by Taysom Hill in the fourth quarter. Johnson also played a season-low 47 percent of the Saints' offensive snaps behind fellow tight end Adam Trautman (61 percent), who was only targeted once Week 12. Johnson will look to bounce back in next week's divisional matchup against Tampa Bay on Monday Night Football.

Trautman reeled in his only target for 17 yards during Sunday's 13-0 loss versus San Francisco.

Trautman made the most of his limited receiving role with 13 yards after the catch on his lone target Week 12. The 25-year-old also played more offensive snaps (35) than fellow tight end Juwan Johnson (27) for the second game in a row, though the two ultimately combined for just three targets from struggling quarterback Andy Dalton. With the Saints' receiving corps near full health after being banged up for much of the season, Trautman's production should remain capped by his short-receiving and blocking roles.

Tremble caught one of two targets for two yards in Sunday's 23-10 win over the Broncos.

Tremble played nearly 75 percent of Carolina's offensive snaps but was hardly involved in the passing game. As he now embarks on Carolina's bye week, Thomas sports just 11 catches on 21 targets for 101 yards and two touchdowns in 12 appearances.

Thomas caught both of his targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 23-10 win over the Broncos.

Thomas played despite missing practice Thursday and Friday due to illness. In suiting up, the veteran was able to put together a second straight game with multiple catches, sending him into Carolina's bye week on a decent note.

Smythe secured his only target for a four-yard touchdown during Sunday's 30-15 win over the Texans.

Smythe previously scored on the ground versus the Jets back in Week 5, but Sunday's blowout win over Houston provided the No. 2 tight end an opportunity to hit paydirt through the air. Of course, Sunday's score was also Smythe's only catch since Week 5, so he can safely be left off the fantasy radar heading into a tough Week 13 matchup against the 49ers.

Tonyan caught all three of his targets for 20 yards in Sunday's 40-33 loss to the Eagles.

It was a pretty standard evening for Tonyan, who has not finished with more than three receptions nor more than 29 yards since Week 8. He has faced some tough matchups lately, and he will see another one in Week 13 as the Packers take on a Bears defense that has allowed tight ends to rack up more than 67 yards just once all season.

Gesicki failed to secure his only target during Sunday's 30-15 win over the Texans.

Meanwhile, No. 2 tight end Durham Smythe turned his only target into a four-yard touchdown, the only score Tua Tagovailoa threw before exiting Sunday's blowout win early. Tagovailoa has excelled at distributing the ball efficiently, and he connected with nine different targets for completions versus Houston, solidifying the reality that Gesicki's fantasy floor has bottomed out. The athletic tight end is still a big-play threat, but with just three catches in his last three games, it will be difficult for fantasy managers to rely on Gesicki heading into a Week 13 matchup against the 49ers.

Jordan (coach's decision) was inactive for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

This was the third straight healthy inactive for Jordan, who has a disappointing six catches and 32 yards in 2022 after showing promise during the second half of his rookie 2021 season. Absent a steady quarterback, Houston offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton wants to run the football and places value on a blocking tight end, which isn't Jordan's skill set.