NFL Player News
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Malik Heath WR | ATL
Packers' Malik Heath: Tacks on three receptions
Heath was targeted three times and caught three passes for 29 yards in Sunday's 34-20 loss to the Buccaneers.
Heath saw a few extra snaps with fellow wideout Christian Watson (hamstring) sidelined again, and he recorded at least one reception for the fifth time in as many weeks. Although Heath is contributing at least somewhat consistently these days, it will be tough for him to make much of an impact unless two players ahead of him on the depth chart are unavailable, and even in that scenario he would still be Green Bay's third option at the wide receiver spot.
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Randall Cobb WR | NYJ
Jets' Randall Cobb: Blanked in shutout loss
Cobb didn't catch any of his three targets in Sunday's 30-0 loss to the Dolphins.
Cobb was the intended target on the first of Trevor Siemian's two second-half interceptions, though the veteran wide receiver couldn't do anything about Siemian's egregious overthrow on the play. New York's offense looked markedly worse with Siemian under center than it has for most of the season with Zach Wilson (concussion), whom Siemian replaced in the second quarter.
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Ihmir Smith-Marsette WR | ARI
Panthers' Ihmir Smith-Marsette: Extra involvement Sunday
Smith-Marsette caught both of his targets for one yard and rushed four times for 31 yards in Sunday's 9-7 win over the Falcons. He also muffed a punt but recovered it himself.
Smith-Marsette was used more as a gadget player Sunday, helping a poor Panthers offense move the ball through his involvement as a runner. As a result, his value should receive a slight uptick ahead of Week 16's game versus the Packers.
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Allen Lazard WR | NYJ
Jets' Allen Lazard: Three catches in Week 15 loss
Lazard caught three of six targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 30-0 loss to the Dolphins.
Lazard posted his highest yardage total since Week 8. He continues to play a starting role on the outside, but Lazard hasn't made much of his opportunities, and the Jets' poor quarterback play hasn't helped matters. Zach Wilson was placed in concussion protocol after exiting Sunday's loss in the first half, so Trevor Siemian could be Lazard's quarterback Week 16 against the Commanders.
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Tutu Atwell WR | MIA
Rams' Tutu Atwell: Expected to play Thursday
Coach Sean McVay said Monday that Atwell (concussion) is expected to play Thursday versus the Saints, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times reports. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Atwell has cleared the NFL's five-step concussion protocol.
Atwell wasn't able to suit up for Sunday's win over the Commanders while working his way through the protocol for head injuries, but he's been cleared for Week 16. In his last four appearances, Atwell has failed to surpass three targets, so he'll likely work in a depth role behind Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua on Thursday.
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Tyquan Thornton WR | KC
Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: Limited role Sunday
Thornton was on the field for seven of a possible 53 snaps on offense in Sunday's 27-17 loss to Kansas City, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
With DeVante Parker (48 snaps) and Demario Douglas (38 snaps) both back in action Sunday, along with Jalen Reagor logging 29 snaps, Thornton's role in the offense declined Week 15. In the process, Thornton caught his lone target in the contest for five yards. The 2022 second-rounder will remain off the fantasy radar unless injuries thin out New England's wideout corps down the stretch.
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Josh Reynolds WR | NYJ
Lions' Josh Reynolds: Makes some plays
Reynolds caught two of three targets for 41 yards during Saturday's win over Denver.
Posting more than 40 receiving yards in back-to-back games, Reynolds is showing a little life after previously failing to top 15 yards since Week 7. However, it is starting to look like Jameson Williams is taking hold of the No. 2 spot on the depth chart after setting career highs with seven targets and 69 percent of the snaps (compared to 58 percent for Reynolds). It will be hard to trust Reynolds for fantasy production in a Week 16 showdown with Minnesota.
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Demario Douglas WR | NE
Patriots' Demario Douglas: Three catches in return
Douglas, who was on the field for 38 of a possible 53 snaps on offense in Sunday's 27-17 loss to Kansas City, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, caught three of his five targets in the contest for 33 yards.
In his return from a two-game absence due to a concussion, Douglas slid back into a key role in the Patriots offense, and that should remain the case for the 2023 sixth-rounder over the final three weeks of the season. Douglas' fantasy upside during that stretch hinges on the performance of an inconsistent passing attack, but the rookie wideout should at least see steady enough playing time and targets to merit attention in deeper PPR formats.
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K.J. Osborn WR | TEN
Vikings' K.J. Osborn: Sticks as No. 3 wideout in Week 15
Osborn played 37 of the Vikings' 68 snaps on offense (54 percent) and finished with one catch for three yards on two targets in Saturday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Bengals.
Osborn played fewer than 60 percent of the Vikings' snaps for the second week in a row, with both rates representing his lowest snap shares of the season aside from Week 9 in Atlanta, when he exited early due to a concussion. With rookie first-round pick Jordan Addison having moved into an every-down role and with Justin Jefferson healthy again after coming off injured reserve and overcoming a chest injury that limited his snaps Week 14, Osborn now looks like the clear No. 3 wideout for Minnesota. Osborn is unlikely to rank higher than fourth in the pecking order for targets in a given week, however, as tight end T.J. Hockenson typically garners a healthy share of looks along with Jefferson and Addison.
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Cedrick Wilson Jr. WR | DET
Dolphins' Cedrick Wilson: Does little with three targets
Wilson secured two of three targets for two yards during Sunday's 30-0 win over the Jets.
Wilson's lack of production was disappointing considering the presumed opportunity opened up by Tyreek Hill (ankle) missing the game, but unsurprising considering Jaylen Waddle's 8-142-1 line. In all but the deepest of formats, Wilson carries no fantasy value with a Week 16 matchup against the Cowboys coming up.