NFL Player News

Hopkins caught his only target for five yards during Sunday's 29-23 overtime win against the Colts.

Through the first month of the season, Hopkins has only taken 41 snaps on offense and recorded catches in just two games. The Rams haven't been using many two-tight-end sets and Tyler Higbee has barely left the field despite playing through an Achilles injury during Sunday's contest, leaving Hopkins with little fantasy value unless Higbee ends up missing time.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Monday that Woods (hamstring) will remain on injured reserve this week, implying that the tight end won't be activated ahead of Sunday's game against the Titans, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.

After missing the requisite four games following his placement on IR on Aug. 30, Woods is first eligible to make his season debut this weekend. While it's unclear where exactly Woods stands in his recovery from the hamstring injury, Steichen's comments suggest that the 24-year-old isn't quite ready to practice. Whenever Woods gets the green light to practice, the Colts would then have a 21-day window to evaluate him for a potential return to the 53-man roster. While Woods remains on IR, the Colts will continue to lean on a three-man committee of Kylen Granson, Drew Ogletree and Mo Alie-Cox at tight end.

Washington secured his lone target for 10 yards during the Steelers' 30-6 loss to Houston on Sunday.

Washington dealt with a knee injury ahead of Sunday's Week 4 tilt, but he was able to suit up against the Texans and recorded a catch for the first time in his professional career. The rookie third-rounder drew praise during offseason activities but has had a minimal role in the passing game to begin the 2023 campaign. The Steelers' offense has struggled mightily to generate much production this year, but Washington could see a slight uptick in usage if Pat Freiermuth's upcoming imaging on his hamstring reveals an issue that will force him to miss time.

Brown was on the field for 22 of a possible 55 snaps on offense in Sunday's 38-3 loss to the Cowboys, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Brown was out-snapped in the contest by fellow TEs Hunter Henry (44 snaps) and Mike Gesicki (33), but he wasn't targeted Sunday and remains off the fantasy radar ahead of Week 5 action. Both of Brown's catches this season came Week 3, when he recorded a 2-71-1 receiving line against the Jets.

Gesicki, who was on the field for 33 of a possible 55 snaps on offense in Sunday's 38-3 loss to the Cowboys, caught one of his three targets in the contest for 12 yards, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Fellow TE Hunter Henry logged 44 snaps in the game, while catching four of his five targets for 51 yards. Through his first four outings with New England, Gesicki has caught 10 of his 13 targets for 99 yards, and in the wake off back-to-back one-catch efforts, he's a speculative fantasy option Week 5 versus New Orleans.

Hooper caught one pass for 11 yards on two targets in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Chargers.

Hooper has yet to earn more than two targets in a single contest through his first four games as a Raider, ultimately posting a 4-51-0 line this season. Fellow tight end Michael Mayer has been even less involved through the air, leaving a majority of the offensive production to Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers ahead of a Week 5 matchup against the Packers.

Pruitt failed to record a catch on one target during Sunday's 23-7 loss to Jacksonville.

After not seeing a target across the first two weeks of the season, Pruitt has garnered one in back-to-back games. The veteran remains a block-first tight end, so barring an occasional touchdown, he has essentially zero fantasy value in standard leagues.

Pitts caught two of four targets for 21 yards during Sunday's 23-7 loss to Jacksonville.

Over the past three weeks, Pitts has caught seven passes (on 18 targets) for 77 yards, while Jonnu Smith has secured 15 receptions (on 20 targets) for 179 yards. Opposing defenses are certainly keying on Pitts more than Smith, but this trend is still worrisome. Head coach Arthur Smith didn't shoot down the idea that Pitts still isn't 100 percent after his season-ending knee injury last year. "To Kyle's credit, he's never made an excuse out of anything," Smith told Josh Kendall of The Athletic on Monday. For now, fantasy managers probably want to look elsewhere for help at tight end, but Pitts still should be rostered in most leagues with the hope that he breaks out eventually.

Freiermuth is scheduled to get imaging on his hamstring Monday, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Dulac notes that while the Steelers don't yet know the full extent of the injury, the tight end is dealing with more than a minor tweak. Freiermuth's status for Week 5 against the Ravens appears to be up in the air after the hamstring injury forced him out of Sunday's loss to the Texans in the second half. Darnell Washington, a 2023 third-round pick, would likely be in line to start at tight end if Freiermuth isn't available, while Connor Heyward also could see an expanded profile on offense.

Uzomah caught his only target for a one-yard touchdown in Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Chiefs.

Zach Wilson delivered arguably the best performance of his NFL career in the narrow defeat, and a one-yard touchdown pass to Uzomah off a beautiful play fake was among the young quarterback's highlights. Tyler Conklin mustered 58 yards on six targets and second-year tight end Jeremy Ruckert got in on the action with a pair of catches, so Uzomah still lacks a path to significant volume in a crowded tight end room despite scoring his first touchdown of 2023.