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In the first round of the fantasy football playoffs, there are a few key tight ends dealing with injuries that could complicate start-or-sit decisions. These are the latest injury updates as of Saturday, December 16, 2023, for tight ends Darren Waller, Dalton Schultz, Taysom Hill, Dalton Kincaid, Hayden Hurst, and Drew Sample. As always, things can change in a hurry, so make sure to stay up to date.
Being up-to-date on NFL injury news can give you an edge over your league mates in fantasy football. Tight ends are always tricky to navigate in fantasy football, so keeping up with the latest injury news is vital for staying competitive.
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Darren Waller Injury Update
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (hamstring), who remains on Injured Reserve, fully expects to play in Week 15 on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, although not with a full workload. Waller said he had "no issues" this week with his hamstring in practice, ran the full route tree and was able to open it up. The Giants have until 4 pm ET on Saturday to officially activate Waller from IR so that he can play on Sunday.
The 31-year-old will eventually resume starting duties at the tight end position for the G-Men, but fantasy managers should be looking to avoid him in the first round of the playoffs in most leagues since he hasn't played in a game since Week 8 and will see limited snaps if he's indeed active. Before his injury, Waller had 36 receptions for 384 yards and only one touchdown in eight games played.
Dalton Schultz Injury Update
Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (hamstring) practiced in a full capacity for the third consecutive day. He has officially been removed from the injury report and will play against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Although fantasy managers will be pleased to hear that Schultz is suiting up, the bad news is that he'll be catching passes from Davis Mills after it was revealed that C.J. Stroud (concussion) is expected to be inactive. The downgrade at quarterback likely bumps Schultz to the fantasy TE2 range for this week.
Taysom Hill Injury Update
New Orleans Saints tight end/quarterback Taysom Hill (foot, hand) upgraded to a full practice participant on Friday after two straight limited practices and was removed from the final Week 15 injury report. Hill missed the Week 14 win over the Carolina Panthers but will now return to face the visiting New York Giants this Sunday. And with top wideout Chris Olave (ankle) a game-time decision, Hill could be looking at a heavy workload for the Saints offense in a good matchup.
The 33-year-old will resume his hybrid role all over the field, mainly as a runner, but more targets could be headed his way if Olave is unable to play. Fantasy managers should consider Hill a low-end TE1 this weekend with more upside if Olave is out.
Dalton Kincaid Injury Update
Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (shoulder) was removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 15 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. Even with Dawson Knox back in Week 14, the rookie caught five passes for 21 yards. Although his floor could be lower than Knox, he still has a low-end TE1 outlook moving forward.
Hayden Hurst Injury Update
The Carolina Panthers are placing tight end Hayden Hurst (concussion) on Injured Reserve on Friday, which will end his 2023 season. Hurst hasn't played since suffering a serious concussion in Week 10 against the Chicago Bears and was later diagnosed with post-traumatic amnesia. He had returned to practice on a limited basis last week but was not allowed to return to game action in Week 14 and has now been shut down for the rest of the year as a precaution.
The 30-year-old said he didn't expect this to be a career-threatening injury, but we at least won't see Hurst until next fall. He finishes the 2023 campaign (his first in Carolina) with only 18 catches for 184 yards and one TD in nine games. Tommy Tremble (hip) and Ian Thomas (ankle) are the next men up at the position in Carolina but aren't really attractive at all in fantasy on this one-win team.
Drew Sample Injury Update
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample (illness) has been added to the Week 15 injury report and is now questionable to play on Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings. Sample hasn't been on the fantasy radar in 2023 with only 14 catches on 17 targets for 97 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games played. If he's still not feeling good on Saturday and is held out, it would mean slightly more playing time for Tanner Hudson, Irv Smith Jr. and Mitchell Wilcox at the tight end position for the Bengals.
Hudson only played 23 percent of the offensive snaps in the Week 14 win over the Indianapolis Colts but had two catches for 21 yards and his first touchdown of the year. Smith hasn't caught a pass since Week 12 and played just 13 percent of the snaps last weekend. Fantasy managers can probably find better streaming options than Hudson and Smith in Week 15.
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