NFL Player News

Jefferson hauled in two of three targets for 29 yards during Sunday's 29-23 overtime win against the Colts.

Despite being on the field for over 85 percent of snaps on offense in every game this season, a pedestrian 8-108-0 receiving line through that period shows just how far Jefferson's stock has fallen, a somewhat shocking development given he opened the year on top of the Rams' depth chart at wide receiver. Cooper Kupp (hamstring) is returning to practice this week, which likely will push Jefferson down to a No. 4 role behind Kupp, rookie phenom Puka Nacua and speedster Tutu Atwell.

Higgins said Monday that he doesn't envision his fractured rib keeping him out for an extended period and didn't rule out the possibility of playing this Sunday in Arizona if he can tolerate the pain and soreness, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Per Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer, Higgins was careful to note that he fractured just one rib rather than multiple ones when he "landed wrong" during a play in this past Sunday's 27-3 loss to the Titans. According to Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer, Higgins initially thought his injury was back tightness and continued to play through the issue, but he ended up sitting out the final two quarters after a halftime X-ray revealed a fractured rib. Though he's optimistic about his long-term health outlook, Higgins seems likely to be withheld or limited during practices this week, clouding his status for Sunday's contest.

Robinson secured one of two targets for eight yards during the Steelers' 30-6 loss to the Texans on Sunday.

Although Diontae Johnson (hamstring) remained sidelined Sunday, Robinson had season-low marks in targets and receptions during the blowout loss as the Steelers offense once again sputtered. The 30-year-old's snap count has remained consistent over the first four weeks of the season, but he hasn't had enough targets to carve out a fantasy-relevant role early in 2023.

Austin secured three of five targets for 24 yards while rushing once for five yards during the Steelers' 30-6 loss to the Texans on Sunday.

Austin racked up 72 yards last week, fueled by a long touchdown reception, but he was unable to generate as much production in Week 4 as the Steelers' offense sputtered once again early in the year. While Diontae Johnson (hamstring) remains on injured reserve, Austin's outlook over the next few weeks could be impacted since Mitch Trubisky will likely be taking snaps under center with Kenny Pickett (knee) expected to miss time. Austin has seen at least four targets in every game so far this year, but his overall production has been inconsistent.

Head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that Evans tweaked his hamstring during Sunday's game but didn't provide any further updates, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Evans caught all three of his targets for 40 yards before leaving the game in the second quarter. It looked like he was going to try and return for the second half, but he was ultimately ruled out for the remainder of the contest. While Bowles' comments weren't extensive, they do offer fantasy managers a bit of optimism, as it appears Evans' injury isn't a long-term issue. With Tampa Bay on bye Week 5, Evans should have ample time to rest and recover before the team needs to post another update.

Douglas logged 18 of a possible 55 snaps on offense in Sunday's 38-3 loss to the Cowboys, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Douglas was out-snapped in the contest by DeVante Parker (45), Kendrick Bourne (29) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (26), while catching two of his three targets for 45 yards, including a 42-yarder. As the No. 4 option in the Patriots' WR pecking order, Douglas is off the fantasy radar, but that could change down the road if the 2023 sixth-rounder garners added playing time as the season rolls along.

Smith-Schuster was on the field for 26 of a possible 55 snaps on offense in Sunday's 38-3 loss to the Cowboys, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Smith-Schuster's five targets Sunday actually tied TE Hunter Henry for the team lead, but the wideout only caught one of them for 14 yards. Four games into the 2023 season, Smith-Schuster has recorded 11 catches (on 21 targets) for 80 yards, a rate of production that limits his fantasy value to deeper formats until he picks up the pace.

Hollins failed to record a catch on three targets during Sunday's 23-7 loss to Jacksonville.

Hollins went catchless for the first time this season, and at one point, he appeared to be visibly frustrated with Desmond Ridder on the sidelines. Fantasy managers probably don't need to read too much into the incident, but it's certainly worth noting, especially when Atlanta has the highest-paid backup quarterback, Taylor Heinicke, waiting in the wings if Ridder continues to struggle. After an encouraging start, Hollins' production has dropped off in back-to-back weeks. He's garnered at least three targets in each game thus far, but that's not enough usage to crack fantasy relevance in standard leagues.

Hodge caught both of his targets for 19 yards during Sunday's 23-7 loss to Jacksonville.

Hodge didn't record a target across 16 offensive snaps over the first two games of the season, but he's been more involved the last two weeks, totaling three receptions (three targets) for 34 yards across 26 offensive snaps. While Hodge's production has increased, it's been in modest increments, and it's been difficult for fantasy managers to trust any Falcons pass catchers thus far.

Washington (knee) is unlikely to play Week 5 against the Bills, Mark Long of the Associated Press reports.

Washington suffered the injury in Sunday's win over the Falcons, which was the sixth-round rookie's NFL debut, as he filled in for Jamal Agnew (quad), who was inactive. It's unclear if Washington is in danger of missing time beyond that, but Agnew is expected to return for Sunday's Week 5 matchup against the Bills in London.