NFL Player News

Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday that LaPorta (shoulder) is trending toward a return for Sunday's game at Indianapolis, Justin Rogers of DetroitFootball.net reports.

Campbell used the term "questionable to above" as an estimation of the tight end's Week 12 status. LaPorta missed the Lions' Week 11 blowout win over Jacksonville due to an AC joint sprain, leaving Brock Wright as Detroit's top tight end.

Njoku (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Thursday's game against the Steelers, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

The Browns listed Njoku as a full practice participant Wednesday, so he should be ready to handle his usual role Thursday. As productive as he's been since Jameis Winston took over as the Browns' starting quarterback beginning in Week 8, Njoku faces a couple of relevant obstacles Week 12. Not only will be taking aim at a tough Pittsburgh defense, but the forecast in Cleveland on Thursday night is calling for cold, windy and wet conditions.

Hudson caught both of his targets for 13 yards in Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Chargers.

Hudson played just 11 percent of the Bengals' 82 offensive snaps Sunday, a substantial dip in snap share after he averaged a 26 percent snap share over Cincinnati's previous three contests. Operating as the No. 3 tight end behind teammates Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample, Hudson has totaled just 12 receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown across seven games this season. The 30-year-old should remain off the fantasy radar after the team's Week 12 bye when the Bengals' host the Steelers on Dec. 1.

Fant reverted to the Cowboys' practice squad Tuesday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Fant was elevated to the active roster ahead of Monday's 34-10 loss to the Texans, but failed to garner a target while playing five offensive snaps in the contest. The tight end can still be elevated to the 53-man roster one more time before Dallas would need to officially sign him to the active roster. With Jake Ferguson (concussion) likely unavailable for Week 12, Fant may play again Sunday versus Washington.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged Tuesday that Ferguson (concussion) "will be hard pressed" to play Sunday at Washington, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Ferguson entered the concussion protocol during the first half of Monday's 34-10 loss to the Texans. While the Cowboys aren't yet closing the door on the tight end clearing the five-step protocol prior to Sunday, he won't be helped by the fact that Dallas faces a shorter week of prep time than usual. If Ferguson ends up being ruled out for Week 12, Luke Schoonmaker would likely step in as the starting tight end after playing 43 snaps and finishing with six catches for 56 yards on 10 targets in the loss to Houston.

The Browns listed Njoku (knee) as a limited practice participant Tuesday.

With limited listings on the Browns' first two Week 12 injury reports, Njoku may need to upgrade to full participation Wednesday in order to avoid carrying a questionable tag into Thursday's game against the Steelers. Either way, the Browns haven't suggested that Njoku is any real danger of sitting out against Pittsburgh.

Pruitt (knee) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.

Pruitt was also listed with rest, so it sounds like he's going to be fine for Thursday night's divisional clash with the Browns. The Steelers' No. 4 tight end, Pruitt has two catches for 19 yards this season.

Gray gathered in four of five targets for 23 yards and two touchdowns during Sunday's 30-21 loss against the Bills.

Gray made the most of his targets in the red zone, collecting a pair of them for his first career multi-touchdown effort. The tight end played only two snaps fewer than Travis Kelce in Sunday's affair. Gray should continue to see regular reps in two-tight end sets and when Kelce needs a breather. That said, Gray's two touchdowns Sunday also marked his first two of the season, so this effort should be viewed as more of an anomaly than a repeatable performance.

Stover caught both of his targets for 15 yards in Monday's 34-10 win over Dallas.

Stover had multiple catches for just the third time in 11 games, but he did get his second red-zone look in the last three weeks. While his playing time has increased since Brevin Jordan (knee) suffered a season-ending injury, the rookie tight end remains firmly behind Dalton Schultz on the depth chart. Stover has 10 receptions on 15 targets for 102 yards through 11 games.

Schoonmaker had six receptions (on 10 targets) for 56 yards in Monday's 34-10 loss to the Texans.

Starter Jake Ferguson (concussion) exited early Monday after being checked for a head injury, opening the door for Schoonmaker to take over as the primary tight end for most of the contest. The second-round sophomore posted career-high receiving numbers while matching his previous game high of six receptions that he set back in Week 2 against the Saints. Fantasy managers desperate for a tight end Week 12 will have to wait on Ferguson's status in the coming days before finalizing any waiver claims on Schoonmaker following a solid effort against Houston.