NFL Player News

Otton caught all four of his targets for 33 yards in the Bucs' loss to the Dolphins on Sunday.

It marked Otton's highest yardage output since Week 10, but the tight end remains scoreless on the season. With all of the Bucs' wideouts healthy, Otton's a low-floor, low-ceiling fantasy bet ahead of next Saturday's Week 18 date with the Panthers. Otton caught just two passes for 15 yards on two targets against Carolina in Week 16.

Helm recorded one catch for seven yards on two targets in Sunday's loss to the Saints.

For the second straight week, Helm was out-produced by Chig Okonkwo, who paced the Titans with 55 yards and one touchdown on three catches across a team-high seven targets against New Orleans. Through 16 games this season, Helm has logged a 44-357-2 receiving line on 55 targets.

Warren recorded five receptions on five targets for 43 yards in Sunday's 23-17 loss to the Jaguars.

Philip Rivers spread targets around to a wide range of pass catchers, as at least five Colts earned at least three targets. Warren was second among the group, though he led the team in yardage thanks to long gains of 14 and 12 yards. This marked his highest yardage total in a game since Week 12, and he should remain a key part of the offense in Week 18 against the Texans, even with Indianapolis eliminated from playoff contention.

Tonges is poised for a bigger role in the 49ers offense Sunday versus the Bears due to George Kittle (ankle) being inactive, Briana Jeannel of the team's official site reports.

Kittle is missing his first contest since he sustained a mid-to-low ankle sprain last Monday at Indianapolis. When Kittle was sidelined in Weeks 2-6 due to a full tear of his hamstring that occurred in the season opener, Tonges was the primary pass-catching TE between himself and Luke Farrell, with the former accruing a 22-209-2 line on 31 targets during that span. Tonges thus is about as good of a streaming option remaining in the midst of fantasy championship weekend with just two games left in the Week 17 slate.

Kittle (ankle) is listed as inactive Sunday against the Bears, Briana Jeannel of the 49ers' official site reports.

Kittle came out of last Monday's win at Indianapolis with a mid-to-low ankle sprain, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. The health concern didn't allow Kittle to practice in any capacity during Week 17 prep, with GM John Lynch (via KNBR San Francisco) and coach Kyle Shanahan (per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com) implying Friday that the veteran tight end's status would come down to a game-time decision. Adam Schefter of ESPN then reported Sunday morning that Kittle was "highly unlikely" to suit up, and his lack of availability now has been confirmed. Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell will split TE duties in Kittle's absence, with the former more likely to contribute as a pass catcher.

Okonkwo secured three of seven targets for 55 yards and a touchdown in the Titans' 34-26 loss to the Saints on Sunday.

Okonkwo co-led the Titans in receiving yards and targets during the loss, with the majority of his production coming on a nifty 43-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the second quarter. The athletic tight end has recorded both his TD grabs in the last two games, and he has a useful 9-99-2 line on 15 targets over his last two games heading into the Week 18 finale on the road against the Jaguars.

Strange caught three of five targets for 54 yards in Sunday's 23-17 win over the Colts.

Strange finished second on the team in receiving yards behind Parker Washington's 115. This was the third time Strange has reached 50 receiving yards in 11 appearances this season, and he has at least three catches in nine of those 11 games. He'll look to close out the regular season on a high note when the Jaguars try to clinch the AFC South in Week 18 against the Titans.

Dulcich secured five of six targets for 58 yards and a touchdown in the Dolphins' 20-17 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday. He also rushed once for minus-7 yards.

Dulcich continued to outproduce position mate Darren Waller, logging team-high reception and target tallies. Dulcich also finished second in receiving yards behind Theo Wease, who recorded all 63 of his team-leading yardage on one play. Dulcich has carved out a solid stretch-run niche for himself in Miami's air attack, and he's eclipsed 40 receiving yards in four consecutive games heading into the Week 18 regular-season finale at New England.

Barner caught all three of his targets for 43 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-10 win over the Panthers.

The second-year tight end snagged his sixth TD of the season on a 17-yard connection with Sam Darnold. Barner has caught multiple passes in seven straight games, putting together a 29-269-2 line on 39 targets over that stretch. and with the Seahawks likely needing one more win to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC, he should see a significant workload again in Week 18 versus the 49ers.

Johnson brought in all four targets for 95 yards and a touchdown in the Saints' 34-26 win over the Titans on Sunday.

Johnson tied for second in receptions while checking in as the runner-up in receiving yards as well for the Saints, continuing a multi-week run of productive performances. The veteran tight end has at least four receptions in seven straight games, and he's recorded at least 89 receiving yards in three of those contests. Johnson heads into a Week 18 road matchup against the Falcons already boasting a career-high 74 catches and 828 receiving yards across 16 games.