NFL Player News

Hewitt (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bills, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

Hewitt suffered the knee injury in last week's game against the Browns and was unable to return to practice Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. He's primarily served as a depth option at tight end this season, so Hewitt's absence won't have much of an impact on the team's game plan Sunday.

Hollister was on the field for eight of the Patriots' 74 offensive snaps in Thursday's 19-14 win over the the Buccaneers.

Hollister failed to haul in his only target in the game and heads into Week 6 action with two catches for 24 yards to date. He remains off the fantasy radar in his role as the Patriots' third-string tight end behind Rob Gronkowski (who missed Thursday's game with a thigh injury) and Dwayne Allen.

Allen started at tight end for the Patriots in Thursday's 19-14 win over the the Buccaneers, but wasn't targeted in the contest.

Allen was on the field for a season-high 50 snaps (out of a possible 74) with normal starter Rob Gronkowski (thigh) inactive, but the former Colt still was unable to notch his first regular-season catch with the Patriots. While there may be some weeks when Allen sees occasional red-zone looks as part of the Patriots' game plan, he's not a reliable fantasy option at this stage, especially with Gronkowski gearing up for a return to action Week 6 against the Jets.

Graham (ankle) practiced fully Thursday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Like top wideout Doug Baldwin (groin), Graham progressed from Wednesday's DNP to an uncapped session Thursday. With little question surrounding his health, Graham will take aim Sunday at a Rams defense that surrendered one touchdown apiece to tight ends Garrett Celek and James Hanna over the last two games.

With Rob Gronkowski (thigh) inactive Thursday night against the Buccaneers, Allen figures to see added looks in the Patriots' Week 5 offense.

Fellow tight end Jacob Hollister could also see an uptick in action Thursday, with Allen representing a potential lineup plug-in for those scrambling for a Week 5 Gronkowski replacement. Allen -- who scored six TDs in 14 games with the Colts last season -- has yet to haul in a pass (on six targets) through four games with the Patriots to date, so he remains a speculative play Thursday.

With Rob Gronkowski (thigh) a candidate to miss Thursday's game against the Buccaneers, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Allen could see added looks in the Patriots' Week 5 offense.

In such a scenario, fellow TE Jacob Hollister could also see an uptick in action, but Allen at least represents a potential lineup plug-in for those scrambling for a Gronkowski replacement in advance of Thursday's contest.

James (shoulder) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.

James' shoulder issue limited him during the Steelers' first practice of the week, but his upgrade to a full participation Thursday puts him on track to suit up in Sunday's game against the Jaguars. The tight end was a popular waiver-wire pickup after amassing six catches for 41 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, but in the subsequent three contests, James has managed a combined nine receptions for 86 and no scores.

Kroft (neck/knee) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Meanwhile, top tight end Tyler Eifert (back) was held out of practice for the second straight day and appears to be trending toward missing another game Sunday against the Bills, paving the way for Kroft to make another start. Kroft might still be a little banged up after the pair of injuries limited his involvement in Wednesday's practice, but it shouldn't affect his snap share in the Week 5 contest. Kroft popped up on the fantasy radar with a huge performance in the Week 4 win over the Browns, hauling in six of seven targets for 68 yards and two touchdowns.

Graham (ankle) didn't participate in practice Wednesday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Despite missing three practices the previous two weeks, Graham posted his most productive performances of the season in the pair of games, which wasn't difficult due to his entering Week 3 with only four catches for nine yards on his ledger. During those outings, Graham's output (11 receptions for 133 yards on 17 targets) is more in line with last season's game-to-game contributions. If his designation isn't removed by week's end, the 30-year-old tight end likely isn't a candidate to take a seat after suiting up the last two contests.

Kroft was limited at Wednesday's practice with knee and neck injuries, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Kroft apparently got a bit banged up during the best game of his young career, though his ability to log a limited practice suggests neither injury is serious. Meanwhile, starting tight end Tyler Eifert (back) still isn't practicing, which sets up Kroft to make a third consecutive start Sunday against Buffalo.