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With just one week of the 2023 fantasy football season left, one of the best players at the tight end position won't be available. There are also plenty of midrange streaming options in the injury headlines heading into the weekend. Our fantasy football injury reports for tight ends for Week 17 as of Thursday, December 28 will give you the latest news on the statuses of T.J. Hockenson, Darren Waller, Cole Kmet, Hunter Henry, and more.
Being up-to-date on NFL injury news can give you an edge over your league mates in fantasy football. Fantasy managers should stay locked into the latest injury headlines.
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T.J. Hockenson Injury Update
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the Week 16 loss to the Detroit Lions. He is expected to be placed on injured reserve and will miss the rest of the season. Given the late-season injury, the 26-year-old could start the 2024 season on the PUP list. The former first-round pick signed a four-year, $66 million contract this offseason with Minnesota. Hockenson had career-highs in receptions, receiving, yards, and targets during his first full season with the Vikings.
He caught 95 of 127 targets for 960 yards and five touchdowns over 15 games in 2023. Hockenson will likely undergo surgery in the next few weeks and looks to recover fully in 2024. Josh Oliver is expected to be Minnesota's top tight end with Hockenson sidelined. Fantasy managers searching for tight end help or a replacement for Hockenson can look to add Oliver in deep formats.
Darren Waller Injury Update
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (knee) is listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's walk-through practice. He's apparently working through a knee injury heading into the Week 17 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, so his status will be worth monitoring for the rest of the week. The former Raider returned from a five-game absence in Week 15, but he's caught just six passes for 72 yards and no touchdowns in two games since.
The Rams have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to tight ends, so he remains on the fantasy radar despite his lackluster showing this season. If he can't play, Daniel Bellinger will operate as the team's lead tight end, though he doesn't have much upside.
Cole Kmet Injury Update
Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (knee) will not practice on Wednesday after injuring his knee in the Week 16 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Before his injury on Sunday, Kmet played well in a good matchup with four catches for 107 yards on five targets. Receiver Darnell Mooney is in the league's concussion protocol as well, so if neither player is able to practice this week, the Bears' pass-catching depth behind DJ Moore is going to be very thin against the visiting Atlanta Falcons in Week 17.
If Kmet cannot play this Sunday, both Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan would have bigger pass-catching roles for the Bears, although neither tight end would be a recommended streamer in fantasy during championship week in most leagues.
Hunter Henry Injury Update
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (knee) was present at the team's light walk-through practice on Wednesday. Henry was listed as limited on the final injury report. The 29-year-old missed the Christmas Eve win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday but could be on track to return in Week 17 to face the division-rival Buffalo Bills if he can continue to ramp up at practice the rest of the week.
Although Mike Gesicki did find the end zone in the win over the Broncos, he didn't do much otherwise with Henry sidelined in Week 16. In two games before hurting his knee, Henry had 10 catches on 12 targets for 106 yards and three touchdowns, so he could be a sneaky tight end streamer in deeper leagues for fantasy managers willing to roll the dice if he plays against Buffalo.
Luke Musgrave Injury Update
Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave (kidney) got in a limited practice on Wednesday ahead of his team's Week 17 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Musgrave injured his kidney back in Week 11 and hasn't played since but his ability to get in a limited session on Wednesday is a positive sign for the rookie tight end moving forward.
Stay tuned to Musgrave's practice participation for the remainder of the week. His return to action would put a dent in Tucker Kraft's production.
Noah Fant Injury Update
Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (knee) didn't practice with the rest of the team on Wednesday. Fant is now up in the air to play in Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers unless he's able to return to practice on Thursday or Friday. If the 26-year-old doesn't play this weekend, Will Dissly would see more targets as the top pass-catching tight end for Seattle. It's unlikely to suddenly make him streamable in fantasy, though, as Fant only has 27 receptions on the year for 355 yards and no touchdowns in 15 games played.
For the first time since the season opener in Week 1, Fant was not targeted at all in this past Sunday's 20-17 win over the Tennessee Titans. Fant hasn't had more than four catches in a game this year and hasn't topped 50 receiving yards since Week 4.
Greg Dulcich Injury Update
Denver Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich (foot, hamstring) remained sidelined at the team's first practice session of the week on Wednesday. Dulcich was designated to return from injured reserve on Dec. 13, but has yet to officially be activated from IR. Now that the Broncos are extremely unlikely to sneak into the playoff picture in the AFC after a second straight loss in Week 16 to the New England Patriots, it feels unlikely that they will bring Dulcich back for their final two regular season games.
The 23-year-old second-year tight end is believed to be healed from the hamstring injury that has caused him to miss all but two games in 2023, but now a foot injury is the thing holding him back from returning. Fantasy managers should continue to stay away from Denver's tight end situation heading into championship week.
Michael Mayer Injury Update
Las Vegas Raiders tight ends Michael Mayer (toe) and Jesper Horsted (hamstring) were both unable to practice with the rest of the team on Wednesday during their walk-through. Neither Mayer nor Horsted were active for Monday's Christmas Day upset of the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs. With both tight ends out, Austin Hooper didn't exactly benefit all that much, catching two passes for 13 yards despite playing nearly 90 percent of the offensive snaps.
The 22-year-old Mayer is going to need to get back to practice if he wants to play this Sunday versus the Indianapolis Colts. He did find a way into the end zone for the second time in his rookie season back in Week 15, but Mayer has only 27 receptions for 304 yards on 40 targets in his first 14 NFL games and won't be a reliable fantasy option at the TE position in championship matchups if he returns to play this weekend.
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