NFL Player News

Johnston had two receptions (five targets) for 29 yards and gained one yard on his only rushing attempt in Saturday's 24-22 loss to Buffalo.

Johnston remained a starter under interim head coach Giff Smith after Keenan Allen (heel) missed his second game in a row Saturday. The first-round rookie's five targets were his most since Week 11, but a poor conversion rate resulted in mediocre fantasy numbers. Fellow starter Joshua Palmer and tight end Gerald Everett tied for the team lead in targets with eight Saturday, leaving Johnston's role unchanged following the Chargers' recent staffing shuffle. Given that fact, Johnston makes for a risky play against Denver in Week 17.

Palmer had five receptions on eight targets for 47 yards in Saturday's 24-22 loss to the Bills.

Palmer continued to serve as the Chargers' No. 1 wideout after Keenan Allen (heel) was forced to miss his second week of action in a row. The former finished as his team's leading receiver, but he failed to recreate last week's long touchdown grab. Palmer's eight targets tied tight end Gerald Everett (7-42-0) for the team lead in that category as well. The end result was a solid receiving line from Palmer, who has a chance to close out the year as the Chargers' top outside option if Allen is unable to return against either the Broncos next Sunday or the Chiefs in Week 18.

Shakir recorded three catches on three targets for 45 yards in Saturday's 24-22 win over the Chargers.

Shakir has found opportunity hard to come by with both Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox healthy, as he entered Saturday's win with only one target in each of his last two games. He still had limited volume against the Chargers, but he had three impactful gains of 16, 15 and 14 yards. It originally appeared that Shakir scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to put the Bills ahead, though he was ruled down by contact. While it was a solid performance, Shakir will remain a peripheral option in Buffalo's offense to close the regular season.

Collins (calf), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Browns, is trending toward playing, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

While the Texans will welcome Collins back with open arms if he's active, it's fair to wonder what kind of fantasy impact the third-year receiver will have with Case Keenum once again starting under center. Noah Brown managed a massive day last Sunday with the veteran passer, so it's certainly within reason that Collins could operate in a similar titular role, but the Christmas Eve matchup against Cleveland's outstanding defense is understandably far less attractive. Expect official confirmation regarding Collins' status prior to the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff.

Diggs recorded five catches on eight targets for 29 yards in Saturday's 24-22 win over the Chargers.

Diggs led the team with eight targets, and he's now reached that mark four times in his last five games. However, in that same span, he's topped 50 yards only once and has not reached 100 yards since Week 6. Diggs' downturn in production is alarming and without clear explanation, though the Bills have hit their stride offensively in the last few weeks, providing hope that Diggs can turn things around before the regular season comes to a close.

Hill (ankle) who is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest against the Cowboys, is trending toward playing, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Schefter notes the Dolphins want to see how Hill feels when he reports to Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday as opposed to specifying how he'll feel following a pre-game workout, which lends some credence to the notion the superstar wideout will be available for the Week 16 matchup. The fact that Hill also participated in practices Thursday and Friday certainly reinforces the notion that he'll suit up, but fantasy managers should still check back in for confirmation on his status when Miami releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.

Davis recorded four receptions on six targets for 130 yards and one touchdown in Saturday's 24-22 win over the Chargers.

Davis entered Saturday's contest having recorded zero catches in four of his last six games, but he was the key to Buffalo's passing attack in Saturday's win. He accounted for each of the team's four longest gains from scrimmage, the highlight of which was a 57-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter, when he got behind the Los Angeles secondary and dragged a defender into the end zone. Davis is the epitome of a boom-bust fantasy option, as he's now topped 100 receiving yards in two of his last four games.

The Bears elevated Johnson from the practice squad Saturday ahead of Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Johnson has yet to appear in a game this season and hasn't played in the NFL since 2021 with the Giants. The 26-year-old veteran is merely insurance and depth at the wideout spot for Chicago.

Boyd caught five of seven targets for 59 yards in Saturday's 34-11 loss to the Steelers.

Boyd produced Cincinnati's longest play of the first half with a 29-yard catch, but the Bengals took a 24-0 deficit into the locker room. He finished one target shy of the team lead shared by Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas in Ja'Marr Chase's (shoulder) absence. Heading into a Week 17 trip to Kansas City, Boyd has caught 64 of 94 targets for 634 yards and two touchdowns. The slot receiver needs 128 yards and two touchdowns over the next two games just to tie his lowest single-season total in each category from the previous five campaigns.

Iosivas caught four of eight targets for 36 yards in Saturday's 34-11 loss to the Steelers.

With Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) unavailable, Iosivas exceeded two targets and 16 yards for the first time in his career. The 2023 sixth-round draft pick out of Princeton nearly added a 22-yard catch in the third quarter, but it was ruled incomplete after a Pittsburgh challenge. If Chase returns in Week 17 against the Chiefs, Iosivas would likely be relegated to a reserve role behind the trio of Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.