NFL Player News

Gray suffered a hip injury during Sunday's game against the Chiefs.

Gray did not return to the game after suffering the hip injury, and his availability for next week's game remains unknown. With Gray temporarily sidelined, look for A.J. Derby to fill in where needed.

Vannett (shoulder) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Cowboys.

Vannett was considered questionable to play despite practicing without limitations both Thursday and Friday. He'll continue to operate as the Seahawks' third-string tight end Sunday, behind Jimmy Graham and Luke Willson.

Malleck was promoted to the Texans' 53-man roster Saturday.

Malleck joined Houston's practice squad in late November, and will make his NFL debut as the team's No. 2 tight end with Stephen Anderson the only other tight end on the roster not on injured reserve. The 24-year-old doesn't provide much fantasy intrigue given the Texans' abysmal quarterback situation.

Brown was promoted to the Raiders' 53-man roster Saturday, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Brown has been on the Raiders' practice squad since falling victim to roster cutdowns in September. The undrafted rookie free agent is unlikely to be an offensive factor and should serve as the team's No. 3 tight end with Clive Walford (concussion, neck) placed on injured reserve.

Vannett (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cowboys, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Vannett was able to practice in full Thursday and Friday, which makes the questionable tag somewhat surprising. The 24-year-old seems on track to play Week 16 and should continue in his usual role as a depth tight end for the Seahawks.

Hewitt (knee) was a full participant at Friday's practice and is expected to play in Sunday's matchup against the Lions.

Hewitt had been bothered by a knee issue that kept him out of Wednesday's practice earlier in the week, but he'll be good to go for Week 16. He's caught just two passes in 11 games this season, so don't expect much production out of the Bengals' No. 3 tight end while Tyler Kroft and C.J. Uzomah remain healthy.

Niklas (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Giants, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Niklas was unable to participate in practice throughout the week and will miss his first game of the season as a result. He caught a season-high three passes in Week 15 against the Redskins, and his absence figures to leave Ricky Seals-Jones with the majority of the targets at tight end Sunday.

Kelce (illness) does not carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Dolphins after returning to a limited practice Friday.

Kelce missed practice both Wednesday and Thursday, but he was well enough Friday to practice and is thus in line to play this weekend. Through 14 games to date, Kelce has logged a fantasy-friendly 79 catches (on 114 targets) for 991 yards and a career-high seven TDs. His consistent involvement in the Chiefs' passing attack makes the 28-year-old one of the league's most reliable fantasy options at the tight end position.

Graham (knee) isn't listed on the final injury report for Sunday's game in Dallas, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Graham followed a slightly different practice routine this week, logging full participation instead of his usual absence Wednesday. The Seahawks may have wanted him to get a few extra reps as he tries to break out of an ugly slump in which he's caught just one pass for a loss of one yard over the past two games. Graham still leads the league with 15 targets from inside the 10-yard line, but he's producing just 5.2 yards per target and has committed more drops (seven) than any other tight end. He does get a decent matchup this weekend, facing a Cowboys defense that's allowed tight ends to produce a 68.7-percent catch rate and 7.2 yards per target.

Lewis (shoulder) does not carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the 49ers.

Lewis will be out there if you need him this week, but the veteran tight end has been a hit-or-miss fantasy option of late, with just two catches (on four targets) for 18 yards combined over his last two outings. Overall, Lewis has hauled in 21 catches for 283 yards in 14 games, with three of his five TDs this season having occurred in a random Week 3 outburst.