NFL Player News

The 49ers signed Baker to the practice squad Tuesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

The 49ers will be the third practice squad Baker has visited this season after stops at both the Patriots and Eagles facilities. The wide receiver has yet to play in a game this season, but at 23 years old, he has a lot of potential as a depth wide receiver for what seems like a perennially banged-up 49ers offense.

Allen caught all three of his targets for 22 yards in the 22-19 overtime win over the Eagles on Monday.

The veteran led all Charger wideouts in receiving yards Monday, as quarterback Justin Herbert was under constant duress and got sacked seven times. Los Angeles' offensive line issues make it difficult for any pass catcher to maintain consistent fantasy value week to week, and that will likely be a problem in Week 15 as well against a feisty Kansas City defense.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that he doesn't expect Metcalf's (stomach) availability for the team's Week 15 game against the Dolphins to be in any peril, though the wideout's practice reps could be affected, Chris Adamski of TribLive.com reports.

Following a stellar outing in the Steelers' Week 14 win over the Ravens in which he caught seven of 12 targets for a season-high 148 receiving yards, Metcalf was admitted to a Baltimore-area hospital when he reported stomach pain on the team flight. Metcalf's stomach discomfort appeared to stem from a hard shot he took during Sunday's game, but a significant internal injury was seemingly ruled out following his hospital stay. Tomlin intimated that Metcalf will open Week 15 prep as a limited participant, but the early expectation is that he'll be cleared to handle his usual duties as the Steelers' No. 1 receiver by the time Monday's game arrives.

Harris brought in one of two targets for 18 yards and added a three-yard carry on the ground through 37 offensive snaps in Monday night's victory over the Chargers.

Harris' two targets were fourth among Chargers wide receivers on the night, matching his place on the depth chart. The receiver's 21 total yards made him the fourth most productive skill position player for his team behind Omarion Hampton (67 total yards), Kimani Vidal (104 total yards) and veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen (22 total yards). Harris played 50 percent of offensive snaps, making it the third consecutive week the rookie has hit that benchmark.

Johnson failed to draw a target in the Buccaneers' 24-20 loss to the Saints on Sunday.

Johnson went without a target for the first time in his nascent career, despite the fact he logged a solid 34 snaps (46 percent). He now has one or zero catches in three of the last four contests, and with Mike Evans (collarbone) and Jalen McMillan (neck) seemingly on the verge of activation from injured reserve, the rookie could have an even more difficult path to targets down the stretch.

Shepard brought in his only target for five yards in the Buccaneers' 24-20 loss to the Saints on Sunday.

Shepard was held to one catch and single-digit yardage for the second straight game, even though he played 42 snaps (57 percent). However, Baker Mayfield slogged through rainy conditions and completed under 50 percent of his passes while netting just 122 yards, so Shepard's line isn't as alarming within that context. Nevertheless, with the activation of Mike Evans (collarbone, IR) and Jalen McMillan (neck, IR) both appearing imminent, Shepard isn't likely to retain any relevance during the upcoming fantasy playoffs.

Smith was held to four receptions (on eight targets) for 37 yards in Monday's 22-19 overtime loss to the Chargers.

Smith found himself acting as the third wheel for the Eagles' passing offense in Week 14 after fellow wideout A.J. Brown and TE Dallas Goedert commanded double-digit targets from QB Jalen Hurts. The 26-year-old Smith has seemingly fallen out of favor coming out of Philadelphia's Week 9 bye, posting averages of 4.0 receptions and 50.2 yards in those five outings. Perhaps a favorable matchup against the Raiders in Week 15 will reignite Smith in time for the fantasy playoffs.

Johnston caught two of his three targets for eight yards in the Chargers' 22-19 overtime win over the Eagles on Monday.

Los Angeles couldn't get anything going through the air as almost half of the team's total passing yards (139) came on a two-yard checkdown to second-year running back Kimani Vidal who burst ahead for a 60-yard completion. That's a credit to the fearsome Philadelphia pass rush who created pressure on over half of Justin Herbert's dropbacks. None of that really helps fantasy managers dependent on Johnston, however, and it's entirely possible similar issues present themselves against a difficult Kansas City defense in Arrowhead come Week 15.

McConkey caught just one of his five targets for 12 yards in the Chargers' 22-19 overtime win over the Eagles on Monday.

The entire Los Angeles passing attack struggled to do much of anything as Justin Herbert was pressured on close to 60 percent of his dropbacks. It's at least encouraging the second-year standout led the team in targets, but similar issues could be present in Arrowhead the following week as Los Angeles takes on a Kansas City team trying to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Brown finished with six receptions on 13 targets for 100 yards in Monday's 22-19 overtime loss to the Chargers.

Brown paced the Eagles in targets and receiving production on Monday Night Football while posting his third 100-yard game in a row. The normally sure-handed receiver did leave some fantasy points on the table after committing drops on passes that hit him in the hands. One occurred on a beautifully-placed ball in the end zone, while a later drop directly resulted in one of QB Jalen Hurts' four interceptions in the overtime loss. After falling out of favor at times earlier in the schedule, Brown has garnered double-digit targets in four consecutive contests. The once disgruntled superstar is rounding into form just in time for the fantasy playoffs with a soft matchup against the Raiders on tap for Sunday.