NFL Player News

Brown caught five of nine targets for 68 yards in Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers.

The Cowboys offense managed only three points in a brutal performance, but Brown at least held his own as the team's No. 2 wide receiver and led Dallas in receiving yards while the Tampa Bay secondary worked to shut down CeeDee Lamb (2-29-0 on a team-high 11 targets). Making matters worse, Dak Prescott suffered a thumb injury late in the contest that will require surgery and keep him sidelined for multiple weeks. Cooper Rush is the next man up under center, but the entire Cowboys passing game will take a step back without Prescott, and Brown could face additional competition for snaps and targets from Michael Gallup (knee) as soon as a Week 2 clash with the Bengals.

Allen (hamstring) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Allen was forced out of Sunday's 24-19 win over the Raiders due to a hamstring injury, and he's now facing a quick turnaround before Thursday's road matchup in Kansas City. Prior to picking up the injury, Allen secured all four of his targets for 66 yards. The results of Monday's MRI will provide the Chargers with more information about the severity of Allen's injury and help clarify his chances of being able to take the field Week 2.

Marshall was active but did not play a single snap in Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Browns.

Marshall and fellow wideout Rashard Higgins both watched the entirety of Sunday's game from the sidelines, allowing Shi Smith to serve as Carolina's third wideout. Following that surprising development to begin his second season, it'll be worthwhile to monitor Marshall's situation ahead of Week 2's matchup versus the Giants.

Smith caught one of three targets for 12 yards in Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Browns.

Smith played over 75 percent of Carolina's offensive snaps, while neither Terrace Marshall nor Rashard Higgins saw the field despite being active. While DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson are undoubtedly the Panthers' top two wideouts, the team's No. 3 could wind up providing some value as well if one of Smith, Marshall or Higgins can decisively claim the job.

Dorsett played just four snaps and failed to catch his lone target in Sunday's 20-20 tie with Indianapolis.

After a promising three-game stint with the Texans last December, Dorsett put together a good preseason that suggested a bigger role awaited him than a four-snap cameo. Chris Moore (34 snaps) and Chris Conley (10 snaps), who was elevated from the practice squad, got more run that Dorsett in Houston's opener.

Conley was activated for Week 1 and played 10 snaps in a 20-20 tie with the Colts, failing to catch either of his targets.

The veteran was elevated from the practice squad and saw more action than Phillip Dorsett, who played just four snaps. Conley played 16 games for the Texans in 2021, so his system knowledge may have made the difference between the two receivers.

Moore caught all three targets for 31 yards in Sunday's 20-20 tie with the Colts.

Moore saw a healthy 34 snaps in the season opener, which is a surprise as there was a lot of talk in camp about Phillip Dorsett, who was limited to just four snaps. Early on, it's looking like Moore will handle the slot receiver spot that was expected to be filled by rookie John Metchie (illness).

Schwartz caught one of two targets for 19 yards and ran twice for 20 yards in Sunday's 26-24 win over the Panthers.

Schwartz had a difficult preseason during which he had an injury and a case of the drops, wiping out any chance of winning the No. 2 job. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski stressed the wideout has the support of coaches and teammates however, and that appeared to be the case in Week 1. He played 23 snaps, well below the 66 each for top receivers Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones, but Schwartz had a key 19-yard grab on third-and-four on a fourth-quarter drive that produced points. He also had a pair of end-arounds, providing extra value in an offense that's expected to be ground-based with Jacoby Brissett under center.

Lamb (foot) was only able to corral two of his 11 targets for 29 yards in Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Buccaneers.

Lamb was one of many key Dallas players to stumble out of the gates. The wideout was dealing with a minor foot injury this preseason, but he was not listed on the Cowboys' injury report at any point during practice this week. Lamb's star quarterback, Dak Prescott (thumb), not only played poorly, he also had to exit the game in the fourth quarter with an injury that will require surgery and a multi-week recovery period. Cooper Rush will be the next man up at quarterback, and Lamb's fantasy value figures to take a major hit against the Bengals next Sunday.

James caught five of six targets for 59 yards and rushed once for two yards in a Week 1 win over Tennessee on Sunday. He added 62 yards on five punt returns.

James was expected to work near the back of New York's wide-receiver depth chart in the opener, but he ended up leading the team's wideouts in receptions and targets, finishing second on the squad overall in both categories behind running back Saquon Barkley. James also finished second on the team in receiving yards behind Sterling Shepard, who notched 65 of his 71 yards on a single touchdown catch. Some of James' opportunity came as a result of the second-quarter exit of rookie Wan'Dale Robinson due to a knee injury, but the former notably saw much more playing time than projected No. 2 wideout Kadarius Toney. It's uncertain whether James' role will be this large on a week-to-week basis, but it's not out of the question given that new head coach Brian Daboll is bringing in a new offense and already has shown a willingness to make bold decisions in pursuit of team success.