NFL Player News

Palmer is in line for an increased role in the Buccaneers' passing attack beginning with Sunday's divisional matchup against the Falcons due to the absences of Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle), Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Evans is expected to be sidelined through Tampa Bay's Week 11 bye while Godwin has been placed on season-ending injured reserve, meaning Palmer should be in for a multi-week boost in snaps and targets. The second-year wideout does have a solid amount of experience despite his relatively brief NFL tenure, having played in all 17 regular-season games and two postseason games as a rookie in 2023 and also appearing in five games thus far this season. Palmer has a modest 5-61-1 receiving line on nine targets in 2024, but he'll be poised for an immediate increase in opportunity while working as the projected No. 2 receiver alongside Jalen McMillan during Evans' absence.

Shepard is expected to see an expanded role in the Buccaneers' passing attack beginning with Sunday's Week 8 matchup against the Falcons due to the absences of Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle), Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

The veteran landed in Tampa Bay thanks in large part to his college playing experience with Baker Mayfield, and although Shepard opened the regular season on the practice squad, he's already been a steady complementary option over the last four games. Shepard has cobbled together an 8-93-1 line on 12 targets and rushed four times for 31 yards over that span, and the veteran, who's likely to see plenty of slot work thanks to his experience in that role, will now help mentor young wideouts such as Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer as they assume more responsibility in their own right beginning with Sunday's game against the Falcons.

McMillan is expected to see a significantly expanded role beginning with Sunday's Week 8 matchup against the Falcons due to the absences of Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle), Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports. "I had a really good conversation with Jalen and just said, 'Hey, this is the week,'" offensive coordinator Liam Coen said. "We talked about it, 'This is the week that you have to really kind of emerge and I trust you.'"

The rookie will be thrust into the No. 1 receiver role in what has been a potent Buccaneers passing attack to date, and even after Evans eventually returns from what is expected to be a multi-game absence, McMillan is likely to serve as no worse than the No. 2 wideout thanks to Godwin's season-ending ankle dislocation. McMillan has already dealt with a hamstring injury of his own that led to a two-game absence earlier in the season, but he should now have ample opportunity to build on the 6-74-1 line he's forged on 15 targets through his first five NFL games.

Chark (groin) was not activated off injured reserve ahead of Sunday's contest versus New Orleans.

Chark hasn't yet played this season, though he was designated to return from IR on Oct. 16. The veteran receiver logged a trio of limited practices this week, so he appears to be getting closer to a return. The Chargers elevated a pair of wideouts (Jaylen Johnson and Jalen Reagor) from the practice squad Saturday to help round out a wideout corps that will likely be without Quentin Johnston (ankle) and Derius Davis (hamstring) on Sunday in addition to Chark.

Flowers (ankle), who is questionable for Sunday's game against the Browns, is expected to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Flowers is officially questionable for Sunday and had been considered a game-time decision, but he looks like he'll be officially cleared when the Ravens release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. The second-year receiver has been Baltimore's top pass catcher this season, tallying 49 catches for 412 yards and a touchdown over seven games. Flowers had only one catch for 11 yards and one carry for 19 yards last Sunday against Tampa Bay while playing through the ankle injury, so it's possible that the issue will affect his production to some extent against the Browns.

McConkey (hip), who is questionable for Sunday's game against New Orleans, is expected to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

McConkey remains questionable due to a hip issue, but he appears set to be cleared when the Chargers release their inactive list 90 minutes before Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. The rookie wideout didn't practice Wednesday and Thursday but returned for a limited session Friday. McConkey has received at least seven targets in each of his past three games, and he's tallied between 43 and 67 receiving yards in each contest during that span.

Meyers (ankle), who is questionable for Sunday's game versus Kansas City, is expected to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Meyers missed the Raiders' past two contests due to an ankle injury, but he appears set to return Sunday against the Chiefs. The 27-year-old will likely function as Las Vegas' top wideout now that Davante Adams is a member of the Jets. Meyers has logged at least nine targets and 49 receiving yards in each of the past three games for which he's been able to suit up.

Hill (foot) remains listed as questionable but is expected to play in Sunday's game against Arizona, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Hill has dealt with a foot injury throughout the week and did not practice Friday after logging a limited session Thursday. Despite the end-of-week reduction in participation, the wideout looks like he'll be ready to take on the Cardinals on Sunday. Hill sunk to a season-low one catch for eight yards last week against the Colts, but his outlook is much improved with Sunday's return of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who missed Weeks 3 through 7 while recovering from a concussion.

Samuel (illness) remains listed as questionable but is likely to suit up in Sunday's game against the Cowboys, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.

Samuel played only four snaps last Sunday against Kansas City and was hospitalized after the loss due to a bout of pneumonia. He didn't practice Wednesday but finished the week with a pair of limited sessions to set himself up to play Sunday. His ability to take the field against Dallas could be huge for a passing game that will be without Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jauan Jennings (hip).

Higgins (quadricep) remains listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Eagles, but he showed improvement Saturday, and the Bengals are "hopeful" that the wideout will be able to play, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

A report earlier Saturday indicated that Higgins will be a game-time decision Sunday, and while that appears to still be the case, Fowler's report is more optimistic about the receiver's chances of suiting up. The Bengals don't want to risk a long-term injury to Higgins, so it's likely that they'll allow him to play only if he looks good during pregame warmups. Fantasy managers should keep an eye out for Cincinnati's inactive list, which will be released about 90 minutes prior to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff.