NFL Player News

Likely caught his lone target for a four-yard gain in Sunday's win over the Texans in Week 1.

With Mark Andrews (quad) sidelined, Likely was expected to step into a larger role in the season opener. Likely logged 71 percent of the offensive snaps and yet he drew just one target. Likely was the only Ravens tight end to play significant snaps as Charlie Kolar logged 13 snaps on offense. Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson leaned on his receiving corps ,as Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham comprised the bulk of the target volume. Andrews' status for Week 2 is uncertain at this stage, so Likely could be in line for significant playing time once again. Still, Sunday's outing shows that Likely is not a lock for targets even if he's playing a high snap count.

Alie-Cox did not have a reception on two targets in Sunday's loss at Jacksonville.

Cox played on 30 of the offense's 72 snaps as he and Kylen Granson got nearly all the TE snaps with Andrew Ogletree suffering a concussion. Even with several tight ends injured (Jelani Woods is on IR with a hamstring injury), Alie-Cox can't find his way into the passing game. Cox went out on a route on 16 of his snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, compared to Granson's 35 routes on 44 snaps. Alie-Cox looks like mostly a blocking tight end in the offense who may get a rare red-zone target due to his height (6-foot-7).

Strange played 27 offensive snaps but wasn't targeted during Sunday's 31-21 win against the Colts.

The rookie second-round pick received a fair amount of playing time in his professional debut but was an afterthought in the passing game, with starter Evan Engram being the only Jacksonville tight end to receive any targets. Luke Farrell received a bit more playing time, but neither he nor Strange are likely to see much of the ball while Engram remains healthy.

Gesicki, who was on the field for 33 of a possible 80 snaps on offense in Sunday's season-opening 25-20 loss to the Eagles, caught all three of his targets for 36 yards in his regular-season debut with the Patriots, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Meanwhile, fellow TE Hunter Henry logged 63 snaps while catching five of his six targets for 56 yards and a TD. As the season progresses, there figures to be weeks where Gesicki sees more targets, but as long as Henry is available, the former looks like a hit-or-miss fantasy lineup option.

Farrell played 33 offensive snaps but wasn't targeted during Sunday's 31-21 win over the Colts.

The 25-year-old operated as Jacksonville's secondary tight end behind starter Evan Engram but wasn't involved in the passing game. Farrell played in all 17 games last season but caught just four passes for 40 yards, and he's unlikely to see much week-to-week involvement in the aerial attack again this year.

Hesse played 14 snaps (seven offensive) and recorded one solo tackle during Sunday's 24-10 win over the Panthers.

Hesse was elevated from the practice squad for Week 1 but garnered a marginal role, and his only noteworthy play was thwarted by a horse-collar tackle on special teams. Coach Arthur Smith loves to have as many tight ends on the field as possible, but Hesse doesn't hold much fantasy value at this point.

Pruitt played 32 snaps (25 offensive) but didn't record any counting stats during Sunday's 24-10 win over the Panthers.

Coach Arthur Smith loves to utilize his tight ends. Kyle Pitts (32 offensive snaps), Jonnu Smith (26) and Pruitt (25) were all involved in nearly half of Atlanta's offensive plays, but Pitts was the only one in that group to record a target. While Jonnu, Pruitt and even fullback Keith Smith will spend a lot of time on the field this season, none of them hold much fantasy value, barring numerous injuries to the Falcons' top playmakers.

Smith played 26 offensive snaps but didn't record a target during Sunday's 24-10 win over the Panthers.

Smith got some cardio Sunday, as his only noteworthy play across 26 snaps was a false start. Coach Arthur Smith loves to utilize tight ends, meaning Jonnu should continue to be involved on a weekly basis, albeit as the fifth or sixth pass-catching option in an offense that leans heavily on the run.

Coach Sean Payton said Monday that Dulcich (leg) will undergo an MRI, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Dulcich left Sunday's loss to the Raiders early due to a leg injury, so this MRI will determine the full severity of his issue as well as an expected recovery timetable. If Dulcich is forced to miss any amount of time, Adam Trautman will stand to benefit from increased opportunities atop Denver's tight end depth chart.

Mayer was not targeted in Sunday's 17-16 win over the Broncos.

Mayer was on the field for 29 of the Raiders' 59 offensive snaps in his NFL debut, but he was held without a target on nine routes run, and he was called for a holding penalty on a Josh Jacobs carry in the third quarter. Fellow tight end Austin Hooper caught his only target for 20 yards, and the timeshare at the position figures to continue against the Bills in Week 2, limiting Mayer's fantasy appeal.