NFL Player News

Woods secured five of eight targets for 32 yards in the Rams' 24-3 win over the Patriots on Thursday night. He also netted minus-1 yard on one carry.

With Jared Goff throwing for just 137 yards on 25 pass attempts, Woods unsurprisingly had one of his quieter games of the campaign. The veteran receiver did tie Cooper Kupp for the team lead in receptions, but he checked in under the 40-yard mark for the sixth time in 13 games. Woods certainly has the talent to bounce back in any given week, however, and a Week 15 matchup against the vulnerable Jets secondary on Sunday, Dec. 20 could well prompt one of his stronger fantasy performances.

Byrd brought in five of eight targets for 48 yards in the Patriots' 24-3 loss to the Rams on Thursday night.

The speedster was able to muster a serviceable fantasy line from a PPR perspective, pacing the Patriots in receptions while checking in just a yard short of N'Keal Harry for tops in that category. Like the rest of New England's pass catchers, Byrd's consistency has suffered with an erratic Cam Newton under center, with the fifth-year wideout accumulating under 50 receiving yards in four of the last five games, including a catch-less effort across 42 snaps in Week 10 against the Ravens. However, there could be a quarterback change afoot if Jarrett Stidham's late-game appearance in place of an ineffective Newton on Thursday is any indication, and it remains to be seen if that would improve Byrd's fortunes over the last three games of the campaign were it come to pass.

Harry brought in three of four targets for 49 yards in the Patriots' 24-3 loss to the Rams on Thursday night.

Harry paced the Patriots in receiving yardage, but on a night when Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham threw for only 146 yards overall, that didn't amount to a notable figure. The second-year wideout's yardage tally was his best since Week 2, but the fact Harry also has a pair of catch-less efforts in his last five games underscores how unreliable his production can be. However, with Jarrett Stidham having replaced an ineffective Cam Newton late in Thursday night's loss, the possibility exists that Harry gains a more accurate passer for a Week 15 matchup versus the Dolphins on Dec. 20.

Kupp brought in all five targets for 33 yards and a touchdown in the Rams' 24-3 win over the Patriots on Thursday.

Jared Goff put the ball up just 25 times and averaged 5.5 yards per attempt, so no Rams pass catcher enjoyed a fruitful night on the stat sheet. However, Kupp was able to give his overall fantasy production a nice boost with a two-yard touchdown grab late in the third quarter that closed out the scoring on the night for either club. The trip to the end zone was Kupp's first since Week 4 against the Giants, while his yardage tally qualified as his sparsest since a Sunday night loss to the 49ers a week later. The Eastern Washington product, who's now 131 yards shy of logging his second straight 1,000-yard campaign, will take aim at the vulnerable Jets secondary in a Week 15 matchup on Sunday, Dec. 20.

The Raiders cut Ateman from the practice squad Thursday, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Ateman didn't suit up for game action with the Raiders in 2020, but he appeared in 18 games for the team from 2018-19. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound wideout will likely look to catch on with a practice squad elsewhere in the league.

Higgins (hamstring) remained limited at practice Thursday.

The fact that Higgins has been able to practice two straight days, albeit in a limited fashion, suggests that he'll be a go Sunday against the Cowboys. Friday's injury report should result in the wideout either being listed as questionable for the contest or free from a Week 14 injury designation altogether.

Samuel (foot) was listed as limited on Thursday's injury report, Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee reports.

Samuel has improved upon his absence from Wednesday, with one more session left this week to elevate to full participation. There's no telling if it'll happen, but fortunately for Samuel his current foot contusion isn't related to the Jones fracture he sustained back in June, as coach Kyle Shanahan told Biderman on Wednesday. Samuel's status may receive some clarity upon the release of Friday's practice report.

Hopkins (non-injury/neck/back) didn't practice Thursday.

Listed as a non-participant for a non-injury-related reason on Wednesday's practice report, Hopkins now has a pair of health concerns attached to his name. As such, there's a shred of doubt about his potential to play Sunday against the Giants, but he could quell all concerns by returning to practice Friday. In the end, Hopkins' status should be watched closely as the week draws to a close.

Carter was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Carter joined the Bears on Nov. 18, and he has so far made two appearances for his new team after suiting up nine times as a member of the Texans between Weeks 1 and 10. The 27-year-old has been assisting on punt returns while contributing a minor offensive role this season, but he'll remain unavailable for the immediate future upon posting a positive COVID-19 test Thursday morning.

St. Brown (concussion) was a limited participant during Thursday's practice.

The Packers' receiving depth is currently a bit thin, as Allen Lazard (abdomen), Malik Taylor (hamstring) and St. Brown were all limited Thursday. It was a positive sign for St. Brown to practice in some fashion, as he was forced to miss Wednesday's session completely. It appears the Notre Dame product is still in the league's concussion protocol, however, so he'll need to be officially cleared in order to suit up in Week 14's game against Detroit.