NFL Player News
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Eric Saubert TE | SEA
Broncos' Eric Saubert: Catches two passes in loss
Saubert secured both of his targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 22-16 overtime loss to the Raiders.
Saubert continued to operate as the Broncos' No. 2 tight end Sunday behind rookie Greg Dulcich. With 27 offensive snaps, the veteran saw roughly half the playing time of Dulcich, who played 53 snaps in the contest. Saubert's limited opportunities in a struggling passing attack make him irrelevant for fantasy purposes. Barring an injury to Dulcich, the 28-year-old should be left off fantasy rosters heading into a Week 12 matchup with the Panthers.
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Ian Thomas TE | LV
Panthers' Ian Thomas: Catches three passes
Thomas caught three of four targets for 24 yards in Sunday's 13-3 loss to the Ravens.
Thomas' three catches marked a season high while his yardage total was his highest since Week 1. Despite still carrying low value ahead of this Sunday's matchup versus the Broncos, Thomas at least put together a decent performance by his standards in Week 11.
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George Kittle TE | SF
49ers' George Kittle: Scores twice in blowout win
Kittle recorded four receptions on six targets for 84 yards and two touchdowns in Monday's 38-10 win over the Cardinals.
Kittle turned in long touchdown receptions of 39 and 32 yards to account for the majority of his production. He showcased his athleticism on each occasion, picking up the majority of his yardage after the catch while weaving through Arizona's defense. As a result, he was able to top 50 receiving yards for only the third time this season. While Kittle remains a highly efficient pass catcher, the 49ers have an array of offensive weapons, which limits his volume on a game-to-game basis.
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Lawrence Cager TE | WAS
Giants' Lawrence Cager: Goes back to practice squad
Cager reverted to the Giants' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
The 25-year-old was elevated for the third game in a row, as he continued to serve as the Giants' top tight end with Daniel Bellinger (eye) still sidelined Week 11. As a result, Cager logged season highs in receptions (two), receiving yards (20) and targets (three) while playing the vast majority of New York's offensive snaps (56) ahead of Tanner Hudson (12) and Chris Myarick (eight). While this outing marked Cager's last available elevation from the Giants' practice squad, he's likely played himself into a spot on the team's active roster.
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Stone Smartt TE | PHI
Chargers' Stone Smartt: Catches lone target in debut
Smartt caught his lone target for six yards in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Chiefs.
The undrafted rookie actually wound up playing 19 snaps in his debut and was the only tight end to see a target, albeit a short dump-off. Smartt's playing time will likely cease with the eventual return of Gerald Everett (groin).
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Tre' McKitty TE | HOU
Chargers' Tre' McKitty: Absent in box score despite start
McKitty did not record a target in Sunday's 30-27 loss to Kansas City.
Even with Gerald Everett (groin) out, McKitty never factored in the box score. The second-year tight end did end up playing 60 percent of the offensive snaps, so it wasn't as if he lacked playing time. Everett's absence is not expected to be a long-term issue, which means McKitty will likely return to his depth role.
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Nikola Kalinic TE | CHI
Nikola Kalinic: Heads back to practice squad
Kalinic reverted to the Colts' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
The undrafted rookie was elevated for the second game in a row as tight end Jelani Woods (shoulder) remained sidelined Week 11. As a result, Kalinic played 17 offensive snaps while slotting in as the Colts' third-string tight end behind Mo Alie-Cox (40) and Kylen Granson (25). While the 6-foot-4 Kalinic once again went untargeted in the passing game, he could have a chance to record his first NFL reception if Woods does not return for Monday Night Football against Pittsburgh in Week 12.
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James Mitchell TE | CAR
Lions' James Mitchell: Remaining in small role
Mitchell was not targeted with a pass during Sunday's 31-18 win over the Giants.
After seeing an uptick in snaps between the first and second game since T.J. Hockenson was traded, Mitchell actually saw a slightly smaller portion of the snaps in the third game than he did the second. If Brock Wright continues to handle roughly three quarters of the snaps while Mitchell hovers around 20 percent, Mitchell won't be worth any consideration in fantasy circles. Up next is a Week 12 matchup with the Bills.
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Brock Wright TE | DET
Lions' Brock Wright: Totals 20 yards
Wright caught two of two targets for 20 yards during Sunday's 31-18 win over the Giants.
Wright again logged the vast majority of snaps at tight end while James Mitchell hovered around 20 percent. However, it still doesn't look like the Lions are wanting to involve him in the passing game like they did with T.J. Hockenson. Next up for Wright is a tough Week 12 matchup against Matt Milano and the Bills.
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Nick Muse TE | DET
Vikings' Nick Muse: Joins 53-man roster
Muse was signed off the team's practice squad Monday, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Muse has appeared in four games for the Vikings this season, primarily contributing on special teams while also operating as the team's No. 3 tight end. With his official move to the active roster, he should make his fifth appearance of the season with Minnesota on Thursday against the Patriots.