NFL Player News

Hockenson had three receptions for 28 yards on six targets in Sunday's win over Arizona.

Hockenson didn't produce much yardage but he was still tied for second on the Vikings in targets. He should rebound next week against Atlanta, but in five games since recovering from knee surgery and making his 2024 debut, the tight end has received just five targets inside the 20-yard line this season and no targets inside the five-yard line. Without increased red-zone usage, Hockenson's fantasy ceiling and touchdown upside will be capped.

Dissly did not catch his lone target in the 17-13 win over the Falcons on Sunday.

The Chargers were content letting the Falcons beat themselves, benefitting significantly from Kirk Cousins' four interceptions. As a result, the offense overall was sluggish and ineffective. Quarterback Justin Herbert converted nine of his 16 pass completions to rookie Ladd McConkey, but the passing attack was otherwise a nonfactor. It's possible that the absence of J.K. Dobbins (knee) could have a dramatic difference on the rushing attack and therefore any threat of the play action, but it's hard to have any concrete takeaways when Los Angeles wasn't forced to take much action.

Dafney signed with the Panthers' practice squad Tuesday.

Dafney was last heard from in September of 2023, when he was cut from the Bucs' practice squad with an injury settlement. Now healthy, he'll look to make his mark with a new opportunity in Carolina.

The Panthers placed Sullivan (knee) on the practice-squad injured list Tuesday.

Sullivan was injured in Sunday's loss to the Bucs and won't be eligible to play again until Week 18. Sullivan played eight offensive snaps and another nine on special teams against Tampa Bay, his lone regular-season appearance of 2024.

FitzPatrick (back) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice.

FitzPatrick played through a back injury in the Packers' Week 13 over the Dolphins this past Thursday, finishing with one catch for two yards while playing 18 snaps (14 on offense, four on special teams). He was limited in Monday's practice, but after logging a full session Tuesday he should be good to go for Thursday's NFC North clash against the Lions.

Pitts didn't record a catch on two targets during Sunday's 17-13 loss to the Chargers.

Pitts was held without a catch for the second time this season, and over the last four games, he has totaled six receptions on 12 targets for 75 yards. From Weeks 5 to 8, the tight end caught 21 of 27 targets for 314 yards and two touchdowns. However, that stretch is starting to look like an outlier compared to the rest of his season -- 14 catches on 27 targets for 180 yards and a TD across his other eight appearances. It's worth noting Kirk Cousins had his worst game of the season against the Chargers, throwing four interceptions and zero touchdowns, so a bounce-back effort from the veteran QB could mean better production from Pitts moving forward.

Krull caught all three of his targets for 24 yards in Monday's 41-32 win over the Browns.

Krull paced all Denver tight ends in targets, receptions and yards Monday, though he played fewer offensive snaps (22) then both Adam Trautman (37) and Nate Adkins (26). The 26-year-old's involvement in the passing game, though minimal, was an improvement over his last two weeks in which he failed to earn a single target on 38 snaps in that span. Nonetheless, Krull is not seeing enough usage to garner any attention for fantasy purposes. The Broncos will host the Colts on Dec. 15 when they return from their Week 14 bye.

Akins did not catch his lone target in Monday's 41-32 loss to Denver in Week 13.

Like many of Cleveland's receivers, Akins has experienced an uptick in activity and production with Jameis Winston at quarterback. The tight end had a limited role Monday however, even though Winston attempted 58 passes and David Njoku had a team-high 17 targets. Winston's not afraid to spread the ball around, so Akins, who averaged four targets over the three preceding games, could get some looks in Week 14 against the Steelers.

Njoku brought in nine of 17 targets for 52 yards and two touchdowns in the Browns' 41-32 loss to the Broncos on Monday night.

Njoku recorded his first touchdown since Jameis Winston's first game as a starter in Week 8 when he brought in an eight-yard grab late in the first quarter to erase an early 7-0 deficit and added a four-yard touchdown reception to cap off an 11-play, 70-yard march late in the first half. Njoku also was the target on Winston's third and final interception of the night with 44 seconds remaining, and he led the Browns in targets with a career-high figure. The veteran tight end will look to build on his second nine-catch effort of the last three games when Cleveland faces the Steelers on the road Week 14.

Calcaterra finished Sunday's 24-19 win over the Ravens without a reception but could step into a starting role next week after Dallas Goedert left with a knee injury in the fourth quarter.

Calcaterra typically doesn't get many looks while Goedert is on the field, so it was no surprise to see him finish without a catch across his 27 offensive snaps in a game where Goedert was largely available. Goedert's injury doesn't appear to be season-ending but could cost him at least a week, opening up an opportunity for Calcaterra. When Goedert missed four games with a hamstring injury earlier in the year, Calcaterra averaged 3.3 catches for 40.0 yards.