The Saints designated Trautman (knee) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

EDGE Analysis

Trautman landed on IR after he sprained his MCL during a Week 11 loss to the Eagles, receiving a recovery timeline of 4-to-6 weeks. He's missed the mandatory three games in order to return to the active roster, but the Saints will evaluate him on the practice field this week to determine whether he's ready to play Sunday at Tampa Bay. New Orleans needs to make such a call before Saturday's 4:00 p.m. ET deadline.

The Saints placed Trautman (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday.

EDGE Analysis

Trautman's move off the 53-man roster was fully expected after Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Monday that the tight end sustained an MCL sprain in Sunday's 40-29 loss to the Eagles. He's expected to need 4-to-6 weeks to make a full recovery from the injury, so the Saints will likely be without him until at least late December. Trautman's move to IR comes at a particularly unfortunate time, as he was just beginning to carve out a more pronounced role in the team's passing attack with six or more targets in each of the Saints' past four games. The Saints will likely lean on a committee of Nick Vannett, Garrett Griffin and Juwan Johnson to replace Trautman, with Johnson representing the best pass-catching option of the trio.

Trautman is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with a sprained MCL, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

We'll await official confirmation from the Saints, but with Trautman presumably in line to miss time beginning with Thursday night's game against the Bills, Nick Vannett, Garrett Griffin and Juwan Johnson are slated to handle the team's tight end duties in the coming weeks.

The Saints listed Trautman as a non-participant on Monday's estimated injury report due to a knee issue.

EDGE Analysis

Trautman wasn't known to have been dealing with an injury during Sunday's 40-29 loss to the Eagles, and it wasn't evident in his production either, as he turned in a 5-58-1 receiving line on eight targets. The tight end has taken on a heightened role in the passing game since Trevor Siemian came on in relief of injured starting quarterback Jameis Winston (knee) in Week 8, drawing no fewer than six targets in any of the Saints' last four games. Because New Orleans is facing a quick turnaround for Week 12 with a Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Bills, Trautman's listing on the injury report may just be an indication that the Saints plan to give him some extra maintenance. The Saints' Tuesday and Wednesday injury reports will provide a better idea whether or not Trautman is trending toward playing Thursday.

Trautman brought in five of eight targets for 58 yards and a touchdown in the Saints' 40-29 loss to the Eagles on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

The second-year pro now has drawn 27 targets over the last four games, with Trevor Siemian clearly prioritizing him when dropping back. Trautman's 18-yard scoring grab early in the second quarter also was the second of his career, with the first having come way back in Week 9 against the Buccaneers last season. Trautman's next opportunity to build on his recent momentum comes quickly, as the Saints host the Bills for an interconference showdown on Thanksgiving night in Week 12.

Trautman caught five of six targets for 32 yards during Sunday's 23-21 loss to Tennessee.

EDGE Analysis

While the final results weren't great, the heightened usage continues for Trautman with Trevor Siemian under center. After totaling 13 targets in seven games with Jameis Winston, Trautman has now seen 19 in three games with Siemian. While this increased attention has yet to translate to significant fantasy production, few other tight ends around the league have seen more opportunities over the past few weeks. With the Eagles' leaky defense on deck in Week 11, Trautman could be worth a roll of the dice for TE-needy fantasy managers.

Trautman caught four of seven targets for 47 yards during Sunday's 27-25 loss to Atlanta.

EDGE Analysis

Trautman didn't do much before the fourth quarter, but on one drive he had four catches within six plays to help the Saints get their first touchdown, after which Trautman was unsuccessfully targeted on a two-point conversion attempt. That brings Trautman up to 13 targets in under two games with Trevor Siemian after averaging 2.2 in just over six games with Jameis Winston (knee), who will miss the rest of the year with a torn ACL. While Winston technically had higher upside than Siemian as a passer, Trautman's outlook would obviously benefit much more from someone who will more frequently throw him the ball.

Trautman caught two of six targets for four yards during Sunday's 36-27 win over the Buccaneers.

EDGE Analysis

Trautman's disappointing season continues despite him matching the season-high six targets he saw Week 1. With Jameis Winston (knee) likely to miss time, Trautman becomes even less reliable as a fantasy option despite having a friendly Week 9 matchup against Atlanta.

Trautman caught all three of his targets for 36 yards and lost a fumble in Monday's 13-10 win over the Seahawks.

EDGE Analysis

Trautman's fumble set up Seattle's game-tying field goal in the third quarter, but New Orleans scored the only points of the fourth on a field goal with 1:59 remaining to secure the victory and bail out the tight end. Though he actually ranked second on the team in receiving yards in this game, Trautman has just nine catches for 100 yards without a touchdown this season heading into a Week 8 visit from the Buccaneers.

Trautman caught both his targets for 43 yards in Sunday's 33-22 win over Washington.

EDGE Analysis

Most of the tight end's production came on a 32-yard grab in the fourth quarter that helped set up the Saints' final touchdown of the afternoon. Trautman will head into the team's Week 6 bye with only six catches for 64 yards through five games, and the competition for targets could get a lot stiffer on the other side of the break with Michael Thomas (ankle) and Tre'Quan Smith (hamstring) both eligible to return.