NFL Player News

Higbee (knee) wasn't present for the portion of Monday's practice open to the media, Rich Hammond of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Higbee was able to return after injuring his knee in the first quarter of Thursday's 38-31 win over the Vikings, but it seems he's now having some trouble with the ailment. Gerald Everett would be in line for a major uptick in snaps if Higbee were to miss a Week 5 game in Seattle. Rams tight ends have accounted for just nine targets on 134 pass attempts from Jared Goff.

Paulsen hauled in a 17-yard touchdown during Sunday's 37-36 defeat to Cincinnati.

The 31-year-old tight end has become a situational weapon for the high-flying Falcons passing attack, as he has now recorded a reception in three consecutive games for the first time since October 2014. If Matt Ryan continues to air it out 35-plus times per contest (as he has in three of four outings this year), Paulsen is liable to get one or two red-zone looks per game. Atlanta's upcoming opponent presents a positive outlook for tight ends Paulsen and Austin Hooper, facing a Pittsburgh defense that allowed the second-most PPR points to the position entering Week 4.

Coach John Harbaugh said Hurst (foot) was nearly able to play in Sunday's 26-14 win over the Steelers, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

It's a strong hint that Hurst should be ready to make his NFL regular-season debut Week 5 in Cleveland, though he'll likely be eased in with a limited role as part of a deep group of tight ends. The Ravens have gotten strong work from a rotation of Nick Boyle, Mark Andrews and Maxx Williams, with the trio combining for 342 yards through four weeks. Hurst has the ability to push for an every-down job, but it probably won't happen out of the gate and may not happen at all this season. Harbaugh said the Ravens would like to see Hurst log at least one practice with full participation before the rookie first-round pick is cleared to play in a game.

Engram (knee) was wearing a brace and sleeve over his injured leg Monday, Matt Lombardo of NJ.com reports.

Engram is a long shot to return Week 5 at Carolina, considering his timetable was estimated at 2-to-4 weeks when he was diagnosed with an MCL sprain last Monday. Rhett Ellison filled in with an 87 percent snap share in Sunday's 33-18 loss to the Saints, accounting for just three catches and five targets on 41 pass attempts from Eli Manning. It will also be a challenge for Engram to make it back Week 6, when the Giants host the Eagles on Thursday, Oct. 11.

Allen was on the field for 45 of the Patriots' 81 snaps on offense in Sunday's 38-7 win over the Dolphins.

Allen's first catch of the season resulted in a loss of four yards, but it's possible that he'll factor in more Week 5, with Rob Gronkowski dealing with an ankle injury and Jacob Hollister hampered by a chest issue.

Swaim caught three of five targets for 39 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's win over the Lions.

He was tied with three other Cowboys for the team lead in targets, and his first red-zone target of the season resulted in his first career NFL touchdown. Swaim seems to be earning some trust from Dak Prescott as a receiver, but even with Sunday's improved overall showing from the Dallas passing game, the tight end's fantasy value is still low heading into a Week 5 trip down I-45 to Houston.

Hill gained 28 yards on four carries and caught one pass for negative four yards in Sunday's win against the Giants. He also returned one kickoff for 16 yards and was 1-for-2 for 10 yards.

The Saints' do-everything quarterback/special teams specialist was again all over the field in New York. On Sunday, Hill had both his first career reception (on a screen pass) and first career completion, as he completed a pass to cornerback Justin Hardee on a fake punt. While Hill is still the third-string quarterback -- Teddy Bridgewater remains Drew Brees' primary backup -- the former BYU Cougar played 12 offensive snaps against the Giants and remains a quarterback option capable of meaningful contributions for fantasy owners in two-quarterback leagues in need of a starter in a bye-week pinch.

James caught his only target for 23 yards during Sunday's 26-14 loss to the Ravens.

Vance McDonald has emerged as the lead tight end the past two weeks, limiting James to one target in both contests after seeing 10 in the first two games. Regardless, James has a difficult Week 5 matchup against Atlanta, which has held opposing tight ends to an average of 49 yards on five catches through four games, with just one touchdown.

Kittle caught six of eight passes for 125 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 29-27 loss to the Chargers.

Kittle was wide open in the middle of the field and had to make just one defender miss on his 82-yard catch-and-run touchdown to bring the 49ers within two points of the lead in the third quarter. The 24-year-old paced the team in receptions, targets and yards on the day and now has at least 79 yards in three of four games this season. The Iowa product ought to continue drawing a large share of the targets with his former college teammate C.J. Beathard now under center, getting his next opportunity in a home game Week 5 against Arizona.

Akins caught two of three targets for 24 yards in Houston's Week 4 overtime win over Indianapolis on Sunday.

Texans' tight ends accounted for four of quarterback Deshaun Watson's 42 dropbacks -- Ryan Griffin had the other. From week to week, the leader among Houston's three tight ends has changed, making it difficult for fantasy owners to pinpoint one. Additionally, Watson has primarily focused on the wide receivers, so even with a high-volume passing team, the tight ends are given little chance to produce.