NFL Player News

Coach Bruce Arians said Monday that Darden has entered concussion protocol, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Darden racked up 66 kick-return yards before being knocked out of Sunday's 38-31 win over the Colts. If he is unable to clear concussion protocols before Week 13 at Atlanta, then Giovani Bernard is expected to handle kick-return duties, while Scotty Miller would likely handle punt returns.

Wilson didn't participate in Monday's practice due to an ankle injury he sustained in the Cowboys' 36-33 overtime loss to the Raiders on Thanksgiving Day, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

While CeeDee Lamb (concussion) and Amari Cooper (reserve/COVID-19 list) sat out the Week 12 contest, Wilson handled his second-largest offensive snap share (74 percent) of the season and established new bests in catches (seven), receiving yards (104) and targets (10) in the loss. Both Lamb and Cooper are expected to make it back for this week's Thursday game in New Orleans, so Wilson's status suddenly looks the murkiest among Dallas receivers. Wilson likely will need to return to practice in some capacity by Wednesday to have a shot at suiting up against the Saints.

Zaccheaus caught one of two targets for five yards during Sunday's 21-14 win over the Jaguars.

Zaccheaus appeared to be trending in the right direction after racking up eight catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns over a three-game stretch, but he was a non-factor once again in Week 12. Slot man Russell Gage (six catches for 62 yards and a touchdown) continues to be Matt Ryan's favorite wideout while Calvin Ridley (personal) remains away from the team. However, Atlanta's offense also remains heavily reliant on its tight ends and running backs in the passing game, which significantly impacts Zaccheaus' fantasy upside.

Cooper (illness) rejoined the Cowboys on Monday but didn't participate in practice, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Cooper returned to the team's facility for the first time since he tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-November, but he'll need to pass a conditioning test before he's cleared to return to the practice field. While the 27-year-old will have a short week of practice ahead of Thursday's game against the Saints, he appears to be trending in the right direction.

Sherfield was on the field for 20 offensive snaps (27 percent) and caught his lone target for five yards in Sunday's 34-26 win over Minnesota.

Sherfield has spent most of the season on the special teams unit, but he jumped into three-receiver sets in the fourth quarter of Sunday's contest after Deebo Samuel (groin) was forced out of the game. While the latter's injury doesn't appear to be serious, his status for next week's matchup against the Seahawks is in serious question. If Samuel does miss the contest, Sherfield might find himself taking on some of the star wideout's usage. The 25-year-old was seen running some of Samuel's usual backfield misdirections and jet sweep motions Sunday, so it wouldn't be surprising if he takes on a larger role offensively against Seattle. Still, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle figure to take on most of Samuel's production for any time he misses, with Sherfield and Jauan Jennings getting bumps in value for deep formats.

Jennings had two receptions on three targets for 24 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-26 win over Minnesota.

Jennings continued to see a gradual increase in usage while serving as the 49ers' No. 3 wideout, experiencing new highs in targets and receiving yardage. The 23-year-old even appeared to catch a second touchdown, but it was reviewed and overturned when the wideout's knee barely grazed the white sideline paint in the end zone. Jennings may continue to see his usage increase with Deebo Samuel's (groin) status unclear for next week's matchup against the Seahawks. It is worth mentioning that fellow wideout Trent Sherfield appeared to be running Samuel's backfield motions and distractions in the fourth quarter, but both receivers are likely to see a small uptick in action if the star wideout misses any time.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury said Monday he's hopeful Hopkins (hamstring) will return to the field against Chicago in Week 13, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Kingsbury said the same of quarterback Kyler Murray (ankle), but the coach added that he won't confirm anything until he's evaluated both offensive stars at practice. Hopkins is coming off three straight absences, but it looks like he's trending toward a return after also having a bye week to get healthy.

Guyton caught two of his three targets for 23 yards in Sunday's 28-13 loss to the Broncos.

The Chargers never managed to gain much traction against a stifling Broncos defense, but Guyton did help the team with a critical 15-yard catch-and-run on fourth-and-4 near the end of the third quarter. The drive ultimately ended thanks to an ill-timed interception, but that reception was arguably one of Guyton's lone highlights of the season to date. The speed threat now has back-to-back games playing at least 50 percent of the offensive snaps, but the extra workload predictably hasn't generated extra fantasy volume as the Chargers' narrow target tree hasn't included the third-year wideout.

Palmer caught both of his targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 28-13 loss to the Broncos.

The rookie saw his second-most snaps this season, but the extra workload once again didn't translate to much. Favorable passing game scripts could force Palmer onto the field more as the season progresses, but he's far behind the more efficient targets heavily utilized by the Chargers.

Williams caught four of his eight targets for 39 yards in Sunday's 28-13 loss to the Broncos.

Justin Herbert repeatedly tried to connect with Williams on a number of deep throws, but the end result saw the big-bodied target held under 50 yards for the fourth time in the last six games. After a blazing start to the season which appeared to highlight a rejuvenated Williams, the Chargers have essentially transitioned away from the 27-year-old as a top target, instead turning to Keenan Allen as the main focal point.