Chargers TE Jared Cook has been activated from the COVID list. He'll be back for Sunday night's win-and-in game vs. the Raiders.

The Chargers have placed TE Jared Cook on the COVID list, knocking him out for Sunday's game against the Broncos. That leaves Stephen Anderson and Tre' McKitty at TE. Neither is an option for common season-long leagues. Anderson could be in play for DFS consideration at minimum salary.

The Chargers on Wednesday placed WR Mike Williams on the COVID list. He, of course, joins teammate WR Keenan Allen, potentially leaving QB Justin Herbert down his top 2 wideouts for Sunday's game against the Giants. We'll keep an eye on the situations for both players. Jalen Guyton and Joshua Palmer look like the next 2 WRs up. RB Austin Ekeler, TE Jared Cook and even TE Donald Parham could all be in for more targets, though, if Williams and Allen both miss the game. On defense, the Chargers also placed CB Chris Harris Jr. on the COVID list. That might be more interesting for fantasy purposes if the Giants weren't down to their 3rd QB.

Update: HC Brandon Staley says Williams and Harris are on the list merely as close contacts. That means each player can make it back for Sunday's game as long as he continues to test negative.

Chargers TE Donald Parham played 23 snaps in Saturday night's preseason finale, catching his only target for 5 yards. He missed the 2nd exhibition with a tailbone injury but is good to go for Week 1. Parham will open the season as Los Angeles' #2 TE behind Jared Cook.

Chargers TE Donald Parham missed Week 2 of the preseason with a tailbone injury. Per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, the 6’8 TE sustained his injury in practice on Friday. Slated to handle the #2 role behind Jared Cook, Parham had generated some camp buzz for his red zone work. We'll see when he returns to the field.

The Athletic's Daniel Popper believes Chargers TE Donald Parham is "going to have a big and influential role" in the offense this season. "He is lining up mostly detached from the formation, both out wide and in the slot," Popper writes. He goes on to add that Parham is still #2 on the depth chart behind TE Jared Cook -- but that "the Chargers have been featuring a heavy dose of two-tight end sets with both Cook and Parham on the field together." Parham will probably need to move past Cook to be a reliable fantasy play this year. But that's certainly within the realm of possibility. He's an intriguing late-round flier.

Chargers insider Gilbert Manzano believes TE Donald Parham is in for an expanded role this season. Parham spent most of last year working behind TE Hunter Henry but tallied 5 catches for 84 yards and a score over the final 2 weeks with Henry out. Now Henry is gone to New England. The Chargers signed TE Jared Cook in free agency, but it sounds like Parham has been seeing lots of run with the starters in camp. "Parham has kept pace with Cook as one of [QB Justin] Herbert’s favorite targets in practice," according to Manzano. We'll be keeping a close eye on how Parham and Cook are deployed with the 1st-team offense in preseason action.

The Chargers grabbed Georgia TE Tre McKitty in the 3rd round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The 6'4, 246-pounder caught 50 balls across 3 seasons at Florida State before transferring to Georgia last year and totaling just 6 grabs. McKitty tested as an above-average athlete at his Pro Day, including a 4.71-second 40 time. He joins Jared Cook and cult hero Donald Parham in the Chargers' TE room.

The Chargers have agreed to a 1-year deal with TE Jared Cook, worth up to $6 million, according to multiple reports. Cook, of course, spent the past 2 years in New Orleans, where his targets dipped but his efficiency spiked. Cook posted 2 of his 3 best yards-per-catch rates with the Saints and scored on 20% of his catches. He faces plenty of opportunity with the Chargers, who allowed TE Hunter Henry to walk in free agency. Cook should face some competition from 23-year-old Donald Parham, but his arrival should also knock Parham's best-ball ADP down from its recent rise. Cook is heading into his age-34 season, so some decline in his performance is certainly possible.

The Saints released TEs Jared Cook and Josh Hill. The Cook move was just a formality, with his contract set to expire later this month anyway. He gets a head start now on finding his next employer. The soon-to-be 34-year-old remained effective last season, posting a 37-504-7 line on 60 targets. Hill saw just 10 targets last year, so his departure doesn't move the needle. But the moves in tandem open the door for 2020 3rd-rounder Adam Trautman to take over as New Orleans' starter. He's a 2021 breakout candidate.

According to Jeff Duncan of The Athletic, the Saints are “extremely high” on 2nd-year TE Adam Trautman. Duncan went so far as to name Trautman as his top “breakout candidate” for next season. As a rookie, the Dayton product saw just 16 targets behind Jared Cook. But he caught 15 of them for 171 yards (11.4 YPC) and 1 score. Duncan fully expects the cash-strapped Saints to move on from the high-priced Cook, who’s coming off a down season. Trautman, meanwhile, makes sense as a fringe TE2 or TE3 target in early FFPC drafts.

The Saints have placed WR Michael Thomas (ankle) on IR. So he'll miss the final 3 games of the regular season. The team expects Thomas "close to 100% for the start of the playoffs," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Emmanuel Sanders and Tre'Quan Smith will operate as New Orleans' top 2 WRs vs. the Chiefs, Vikings and Panthers the next 3 weeks. Jared Cook is back in the TE1 mix with Thomas out and QB Drew Brees back.

"Signs are pointing towards" Saints QB Taysom Hill getting the start against the Falcons this weekend, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Hill has taken starter reps in practice this week. It's a mild surprise only because the Saints figure to drastically alter their offense moving from a pure pocket passer in Drew Brees to a dual-threat in Hill. There's still a chance New Orleans mixes in QB Jameis Winston, but Hill has suddenly become a super intriguing Week 11 fantasy play. He brings big rushing upside -- and the matchup is sweet vs. Atlanta's 32nd-ranked QB defense. The move to Hill is a major downgrade for WR Michael Thomas and the rest of New Orleans' pass catchers.

Update: ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Hill "will start" vs. Atlanta after taking "all the starter reps" at practice this week. Winston will back him up.

Saints TE Jared Cook (groin) is active for tonight's game against the Chargers. He was limited in practice all week after missing Week 4, so Cook is a risk/reward fantasy play. TE Adam Trautman is a healthy scratch tonight.

Saints TE Jared Cook (groin) is expected to play against the Chargers tonight, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Cook was limited in practice all week after missing Week 4, so he'll carry elevated risk in fantasy lineups.

Saints TE Jared Cook (groin) is listed as questionable for Monday night's game against the Chargers after a limited week of practice. With the late kickoff, you're better off looking elsewhere for your starting TE this week.

Saints TE Jared Cook (groin) put in a limited practice on Thursday. That gives him a shot to return for Monday night's game against the Chargers. We'll get another update on Cook's status tomorrow.

Saints TE Jared Cook (groin) is out for Sunday's game against the Lions. He missed practice all week and might be looking at a multi-game absence. Rookie TE Adam Trautman stepped in for Cook last week but would be a desperation Week 4 fantasy play.