NFL Player News

Osborn caught seven of nine targets for 76 yards in Sunday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Bengals.

Osborn played just 119 special-teams snaps and none on offense as a rookie last season, but the 2020 fifth-round pick improved dramatically in the offseason and is set to work as the Vikings' third wide receiver behind Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. Thielen scored two touchdowns on a game-high 10 targets, while Jefferson and Osborn were both right behind him with nine targets apiece. Keeping this level of involvement will be tough as long as Thielen, Jefferson and running back Dalvin Cook stay healthy, but Osborn is a player to keep an eye on moving forward, including in Week 2 against the Cardinals.

Ridley brought in five of eight targets for 51 yards in the Falcons' 32-6 loss to the Eagles on Sunday.

Ridley did pace the Falcons in receptions and receiving yards on the afternoon while also tying Kyle Pitts for the team lead in targets. Nevertheless, Ridley's final line has to be considered a fantasy disappointment in what was the Falcons' first game of the post-Julio Jones era. Time will tell whether Ridley is miscast as a No. 1 receiver, as it's difficult to draw any definitive conclusions from a game that got as out of hand in the second half as Sunday's did. The problem for Ridley and his offensive teammates is that matters could be even thornier Week 2, considering a road matchup against the Buccaneers awaits.

Boyd caught three of four targets for 32 yards in Sunday's 27-24 overtime win over the Vikings.

Boyd was overshadowed by fellow wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase, who each topped the 50-yard mark with a touchdown. The slot specialist has racked up at least 76 catches and 108 targets in each of the past three seasons, so Boyd should be more involved in Week 2 against the Bears and beyond. He's a nice buy-low trade candidate after this quiet season debut, especially since quarterback Joe Burrow looks fully recovered from last year's knee surgery.

Brown caught four receptions for 49 yards and one touchdown on eight targets against Arizona on Sunday.

Arizona's cornerback personnel is dubious at best and the Titans should have capitalized in the home matchup, but the entire Tennessee offense managed to fall apart. It certainly didn't help that quarterback Ryan Tannehill was subjected to five sacks from the Cardinals' Chandler Jones, but it's still puzzling that the Titans didn't get Brown more than eight targets and fellow wideout Julio Jones with Tennessee falling behind early. The Seahawks don't have the cornerbacks to cover Brown or Jones as Tennessee heads on the road for Week 2, but Tennessee needs to get better pass blocking and quarterback play to capitalize.

Chase caught five of seven targets for 101 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-24 overtime win over the Vikings.

Chase had an underwhelming camp, but the rookie fifth overall pick stepped his game up in his NFL debut, bursting by the defender on a go route for a 50-yard touchdown in the final minute of the first half. He finished as the team leader in catches, targets and receiving yards. Chase's chemistry with quarterback Joe Burrow dates back to their days together at LSU, and the electric rookie will look to build on this strong first impression in Week 2 against Chicago.

Smith secured six of eight targets for 71 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles' 32-6 win over the Falcons on Sunday.

The spectacular rookie paid immediate dividends in his regular-season debut, running under a pretty Jalen Hurts pass from 19 yards out in the first quarter for the Eagles' first points of the afternoon. Smith ultimately went on to co-lead the team in receptions while pacing the squad in both receiving yardage and targets, a highly encouraging sign for the apparently rapidly burgeoning connection between him and Hurts. Smith will look to build on the quick start to his career in a Week 2 home showdown against the 49ers.

Higgins caught four of five targets for 58 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-24 win over the Bengals.

Higgins went into the locker room for an IV in the second half but was able to return. He got the Bengals on the board with a two-yard touchdown 1:51 before halftime, but Higgins' touchdown was overshadowed by Ja'Marr Chase's 50-yard score 1:16 later. While the two outside receivers were both much more involved than slot dynamo Tyler Boyd in the season opener, all three members of this trio will be viable fantasy options in Week 2 against the Bears.

Cooks corralled five of seven targets for 132 yards during Sunday's 37-21 win against the Jaguars.

After posting 20 catches of 20-plus yards in 2020 -- tied for fifth most in the NFL -- Cooks picked up where he left off with three such grabs Week 1 of this season, only this time with Tyrod Taylor under center instead of Deshaun Watson (coach's decision). Two of those receptions actually went for 40 or more yards (40, 52) en route to 18.9 yards per target. The latter number isn't sustainable for an entire campaign for a player with Cooks' volume, but he's hovered around 10 YPT (9.6, to be precise) over the past five years. He'll look to keep it up next Sunday in a road matchup with the Browns.

Metcalf had four receptions (five targets) for 60 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-16 win over the Colts.

Tyler Lockett (100 yards and two scores) stole the show from a fantasy perspective, but Metcalf still turned in a solid line. Russell Wilson remains one of the best deep-threat quarterbacks in the league, and without much depth behind his two speedy wideouts, Metcalf and Lockett are likely to alternate big performances on a weekly basis. Next up is a Week 2 matchup against the Titans on Sunday.

Jefferson caught five of nine targets for 71 yards and added an 11-yard pass in Sunday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Bengals.

Jefferson came just shy of finding the end zone early in the fourth quarter, but he was ruled short of the goal line even after a Vikings challenge and watched Dalvin Cook punch it in on the next play. In addition to his contributions as a receiver, Jefferson also got a chance to throw the ball on a designed rollout, finding K.J. Osborn for an 11-yard gain. Osborn established himself as the team's third wide receiver with seven catches for 76 yards on nine targets in this one, and Adam Thielen found the end zone twice, but Jefferson remains a major component of the Vikings' offense heading into a Week 2 trip to Arizona.