NFL Player News

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Kittle will be out a "few weeks" due to the hamstring injury that knocked him out of Sunday's win in Seattle, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.

Kittle was ruled out in the first half with the health concern, and after undergoing an MRI it's been determined that the tight end will need to miss some time. Shanahan's comments indicate Kittle will miss at least this coming Sunday's contest at New Orleans and potentially an NFC West matchup with the Cardinals on Sunday, Sept. 21. Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges are in line for TE snaps for San Francisco for as long as Kittle is sidelined.

Bellinger secured his only target for 14 yards in a Week 1 loss against the Commanders on Sunday.

Bellinger got New York down to Washington's three-yard line on a 14-yard connection with Russell Wilson in the fourth quarter, but the Giants were unable to emerge with a score. Theo Johnson dominated tight-end snaps for New York in Week 1 with 53, while Chris Manhertz logged 18 and Bellinger recorded 15. Despite Bellinger outdoing Johnson in receiving yardage in the loss, the latter figures to be the lead pass-catching option among New York's tight-end corps as long as he remains healthy.

Johnson caught one of three targets for five yards in Sunday's loss to Washington.

Johnson dominated New York's tight-end snaps with 53 to Chris Manhertz's 18 and Daniel Bellinger's 15, but Johnson wasn't able to produce much with the opportunity. Meanwhile, Bellinger secured his only target for 14 yards while Manhertz didn't get any targets. The Giants' passing game -- and offense as a whole -- struggled Sunday, so it's difficult to glean much from individual players' stats on offense. It was at least promising for Johnson's fantasy viability moving forward that he logged such a heavy workload, though he'll likely need to get more balls thrown his way to have a chance of making an impact.

Parkinson (shoulder) suffered a sprained AC joint in Sunday's 14-9 win over the Texans, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Parkinson played through the injury after briefly getting checked out in the locker room during the first half. While Tyler Higbee paced the Rams' tight ends in playing time with 35 offensive snaps, Parkinson was in on 29, while Davis Allen saw 22 plays. Rookie Terrance Ferguson played just five snaps on special teams. Parkinson turned his two targets into two catches for minus-6 yards and one lost fumble. It remains to be seen if he'll miss any time with the injury.

Farrell brought in his only target for four yards in Sunday's 17-13 win over the Seahawks.

Starter George Kittle (hamstring) left the contest after scoring an early touchdown, opening up a chunk of playing time for the team's backup tight ends. Farrell finished with the most snaps played on offense (44), but it was third-stringer Jake Tonges (3-15-1) who absorbed Kittle's fantasy production despite logging 14 less snaps. It appears the 49ers view Farrell primarily as a blocking tight end regardless of where he sits on the depth chart. It is currently unclear how long Kittle will be sidelined for (if at all), but it appears that Tonges would be the fantasy beneficiary if the former can't suit up against the Saints next Sunday.

Tonges hauled in all three of his targets for 15 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 17-13 win over Seattle.

Tonges was forced into action after starter George Kittle (hamstring) exited the contest early. The 26-year-old Tonges did his best Kittle impersonation when he leaped for a high-point pass in the corner of the end zone and came down with the game-winning touchdown. Fellow backup TE Luke Farrell wound up playing more snaps (44) than Tonges (30), but the latter is the more adept receiver for fantasy purposes. If Kittle is forced to miss any time, then Tonges could generate some value in deeper formats, but his ceiling would be capped by the timeshare he would likely operate under.

Trautman reeled in his lone target for five yards in Sunday's 20-12 win over the Titans.

Trautman led all Broncos tight ends in snaps, playing 44 of Denver's 76 offensive snaps in the contest. The veteran saw extended playing time when fellow tight end Evan Engram injured his calf in the third quarter and did not return. If Engram is forced to miss time going forward, Trautman would likely continue to see the majority of snaps at the position based on his blocking prowess and the trust that head coach Sean Payton has in him. Third-year tight end Lucas Krull would also see more snaps if Engram misses time, and he would likely be the preferred pass-catching option. With that said, Trautman remains extremely difficult to trust for fantasy purposes heading into a Week 2 matchup against the Colts.

Stover suffered a broken foot in Sunday's 14-9 loss to the Rams, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Stover started the Texans' Week 1 contest and recorded a team-high four catches for 22 yards versus Los Angeles before sustaining the injury. He was in a walking boot after the loss and is now likely to miss multiple weeks, though the team has yet to confirm the injury. With Brevin Jordan (knee) and Irv Smith (ankle) both on injured reserve and done for the season, Houston is already severely shorthanded at tight end. Veteran Harrison Bryant and seventh-round rookie Luke Lachey are currently on the practice squad as options behind Dalton Schultz.

FitzPatrick was targeted once and caught one pass for two yards in Sunday's 27-13 victory over the Lions.

FitzPatrick was activated rather than fellow tight end Ben Sims and served as the third option at his position behind Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave. FitzPatrick played only two fewer snaps than Musgrave, but chances are he will remain in a bit role as long as the two players ahead of him are available.

Wright wasn't targeted during the Lions' 27-13 loss to the Packers on Sunday.

Despite playing 24 offensive snaps during Sunday's loss, Wright went without a target. The 26-year-old ranked second on Detroit in snaps from tight ends, behind only Sam LaPorta (61), suggesting that he's still the team's top backup option. Wright is primarily utilized as a blocker rather than a receiving threat, and he's expected to play behind LaPorta again in a Week 2 matchup with the Bears.