NFL Player News

Ertz recorded four catches (on four targets) for 42 yards during Thursday's 24-21 loss to the Packers.

Ertz' most significant play, a 20-yard catch and run, set up the Cardinals at the Packers' two-yard line for their second TD of the contest. Otherwise, his other three grabs all went for fewer than 10 yards. Through two games with Arizona, Ertz has combined for a 7-108-1 line on nine targets, which is better than all but one two-game stretch with the Eagles on the campaign. The trade from Philadelphia to the desert appears to have revitalized the 30-year-old tight end, who will look to keep it up next Sunday at San Francisco.

Trautman caught two of six targets for four yards during Sunday's 36-27 win over the Buccaneers.

Trautman's disappointing season continued Sunday despite him matching the season-high six targets he saw Week 1. With Jameis Winston (knee) likely to miss time, Trautman becomes even less reliable as a fantasy option despite having a friendly Week 9 matchup against Atlanta.

Pitts caught two of his six targets for 13 yards during the Falcons' 19-13 loss to the Panthers on Sunday.

After back-to-back 100-yard performances, Pitts was humbled in this Week 8 defeat. Calvin Ridley was out for the second time in three games due to a personal issue, so Pitts operated as Atlanta's top receiving option and was doubled for the majority of the contest. Matt Ryan tried to force the ball to the 6-foot-6 tight end on multiple occasions, but the rookie first-round pick failed to make a highlight play. Pitts remain a must-start moving forward, but he'll need a bounce-back performance against the Saints next Sunday to give his fantasy managers confidence once again.

Arnold caught eight receptions for 68 yards on 10 targets against Seattle on Sunday.

Arnold was by far the most effective target for Jacksonville on Sunday, but that's not saying much in a game where quarterback Trevor Lawrence averaged just 4.4 yards per pass on 54 attempts. Arnold should continue to see his target volume benefit from the combination of Jacksonville's dearth of viable pass catchers and the fact the Jaguars are forced to play from behind from relatively early in nearly every game. Arnold could be surprisingly useful going forward in PPR formats, though a Week 9 matchup with Buffalo is not encouraging.

Gesicki secured three of four targets for 48 yards and also caught a two-point conversion pass in the Dolphins' 26-11 loss to the Bills on Sunday.

The talented tight end's yardage total, modest as it was, checked in second only to that of DeVante Parker's on the Dolphins for the afternoon. However, with a long catch of 40 yards, Gesicki's other two grabs went for just eight yards. The two-point conversion reception helped prop up his tally just slightly, but Gesicki still finished with his lowest reception total since Week 2. Next up for the Penn State product and his teammates is a matchup versus the Texans' Cover-2 scheme, which does give up a fair amount of production to tight ends.

Freiermuth caught four of seven targets for 44 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 15-10 win over Cleveland.

The rookie tight end ranked second on the team in targets behind top wideout Diontae Johnson, and it's the second straight week he's been targeted seven times. Freiermuth had only 11 receptions for 100 yards and one score across the first five weeks of the season, but he's been more involved the past two games with 11 catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Uzomah caught all four of his targets for 33 yards in Sunday's 34-31 loss to the Jets.

Uzomah was held in check after compiling five touchdowns over his previous four games. The tight end had a pair of yardage outbursts north of 90 over that productive stretch but has failed to reach the 40-yard mark in any other game this season. Uzomah will remain a boom-or-bust option in Week 9 against the Browns with the Bengals looking to bounce back from this spooky Halloween loss.

Akins caught five receptions for 53 yards on five targets against the Rams on Sunday.

Akins was efficient with his workload, but the five targets marks just the third time in 2021 that Akins drew more than two targets in a game, and his usage Sunday was possibly boosted by the absence of starting tight end Pharaoh Brown (thigh). Not just that, but rookie fifth-round pick Brevin Jordan saw four targets of his own and caught three for 41 yards and one touchdown. Jordan is the same type of tight end as Akins -- a slightly undersized pass-catching specialist -- so if Jordan should emerge further, it could occur at Akins' expense. The Texans face Miami in Week 9.

Swaim had four receptions (five targets) for 23 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-31 win over the Colts.

Ryan Tannehill dialed up his tight end near the goal line on a play-action pass for the veteran's first touchdown of the season. Swaim has been logging starter's snaps on offense, but this was just his eighth reception on the year. The 27-year-old's value lies in his ability to block in front of Derrick Henry, so fantasy managers can dismiss this rare trip to the end zone.

James caught three passes for 38 yards and a touchdown in the Bears' 33-22 loss to the 49ers on Sunday.

With Jimmy Graham (COVID-19) missing this game, James caught all three of his targets, including the only touchdown pass Justin Fields threw. For the second straight game, James caught three passes, though once Graham returns, there's a strong chance James returns to the reserve spot he held, which resulted in zero catches through Week 6.