NFL Player News

Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew is seeking to get back in the end zone heading into Week 10 against the Bears in Chicago.

Pettigrew caught his first touchdown of the season in Week 7 against the Bengals, but was unable to follow that up against the Cowboys in Week 8, as he only caught three of the six passes thrown in his direction for 31 yards. Fresh off a bye week, Pettigrew will face a Bears defense that has allowed 100-plus yards to tight ends in two of the past four games. Opposing tight ends have only scored twice all season against the Bears and have averaged 8.25 Fantasy points per game against them.

This may not be the best of matchups for Pettigrew, but he could be worth the look as a possible bye week replacement option. The problem is that the Lions may roll out with a few two-tight end sets in the red zone, which would also give Joseph Fauria a chance to score. Our Fantasy experts have him ranked as high as 12th and as low as 22nd. Consider him a low-end option for Week 10.

Without Ryan Broyles and Nate Burleson for Week 10 against the Bears, the Lions have some questions about their receiving options this Sunday. According to the MLive.com, Jeremy Ross is the leader to start in the slot this Sunday, after barely playing in three games since being promoted from the practice squad.

"Jeremy Ross has stepped in, has played fair, does a nice job for us," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "We know that he will be able to do some of those things for us."

The inexperienced Ross won't be the only player the Lions consider as an option in the slot, as they like to move players around the formation. Running back Reggie Bush and tight end Joseph Fauria are also considered options to slide to the slot in some sets.

Saints tight end Jimmy Graham (elbow, foot) was limited throughout the week in practice, and is officially questionable for Week 10 against the Cowboys. Of course, Graham was also questionable for last week's game, when he played through the injury and finished with nine catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns. 

Take away sidelined featured back Arian Foster and the Texans are in fine shape for their game Sunday in Arizona. Their only other player listed as anything worse than probable is linebacker Mike Mohamed (hamstring), who is also out.

The probables are offensive linemen Derek Newton (knee/elbow), Wade Smith (knee), Brandon Brooks (foot) and Andrew Gardner (knee), tight end Garrett Graham (thigh), defensive backs Brice McCain (hip) and Shiloh Keo (ankle), nose tackle Earl Mitchell (knee), running back Ben Tate (ribs) and linebacker Darryl Sharpton (foot/toe).

Texans tight end Garrett Graham has been a disappointment since taking over as the starter for the injured Owen Daniels (leg) in Week 6, and he comes into Sunday's game in Week 10 at Arizona looking for a breakout performance.

He just might get it.

Graham has 10 Fantasy points combined in his past four games. He was actually better when Daniels was active since he had at least eight Fantasy points in three of his first four outings.

But since Case Keenum took over for Matt Schaub (ankle), Graham has seen an increase in targets with 14 in his past two games. He has just seven catches for 84 yards over that span, but he gets a great matchup this week since the Cardinals have been miserable against tight ends all year.

There have been four tight ends to score double digits in Fantasy points against Arizona with eight touchdowns allowed. If you need a tight end for this week, take a chance on Graham in a favorable matchup. He is viewed as a low-end starting option in the desert.

Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis faces a decent matchup in Week 10 against the Titans, but will likely be unable to take advantage of it. Lewis has just two catches in three games on the season, after all.

The Titans allow opposing tight ends to average 8.8 Fantasy points per game against them, the 10th-worst mark in the league. Unfortunately, Lewis' role on the team's offense is no longer big enough to consider as anything more than a desperation play for Fantasy purposes. 

Redskins backup tight end Logan Paulsen saw a touchdown pass go right through his fingers early in the Week 10 game at Minnesota Thursday. He made up for it later with a 1-yard touchdown catch in the Washington loss. 

Paulsen finished with two catches for 3 yards, including the touchdown. He was targeted three times in the game overall by quarterback Robert Griffin III. Paulsen has five catches in the last two games for 12 yards. The Redskins play at Philadelphia Week 11. 

Packers tight end Andrew Quarless could be a sleeper Fantasy pick for Sunday's contest at home against the Eagles in Week 10.

With Aaron Rodgers sidelined with a collarbone injury, Seneca Wallace took over and targeted Quarless seven times against the Bears in Week 9. He finished with a season-high five catches for 34 yards.

With that said, the Eagles have been pretty stingy against tight ends this season, keeping them out of the end zone in each of the first nine games. Opposing tight ends have averaged 4.78 Fantasy points per game this season.

Although his targets may increase with Wallace under center, Quarless is way too risky to trust. Consider him a low-end option in the majority of Fantasy formats for Week 10.

The Redskins had few surprises among their inactives for the Week 10 game at Minnesota Thursday night. Defensive lineman Stephen Bowen (shoulder), linebacker London Fletcher (knee) and tight end Logan Paulsen (knee) are all active for the game. All three were considered probable entering Thursday. 

Saints tight end Jimmy Graham has turned into one of the most valuable players in Fantasy, regardless of position. It doesn't matter the matchup, Graham is a player that should never be sitting on your Fantasy bench as long as he's active.

Graham even proved in Week 8 vs. Buffalo when he was limited by a foot injury that he can still be overly productive. Graham has totaled two touchdowns in two straight games and will look to keep the good times rolling Week 10 vs. Dallas.

Tight ends have had fairly good success against Dallas. Tight ends average 10.3 Fantasy points per week, which is the fourth-highest average. Tight ends also average 73 receiving yards and have totaled five touchdowns against Dallas, which included a two-touchdown performance from Julius Thomas in Week 5.

Graham is still a bit banged up, but he played nearly the entire game Week 9 at N.Y. Jets, totaling nine catches for 116 yards. It would be wise to keep Graham active in all Fantasy formats.