NFL Player News

Samuel (illness) passed COVID-19 protocols and can return to the 49ers' facilities, indicating that he'll suit up Sunday versus the Dolphins, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Samuel had an illness, but it has been determined that he doesn't have COVID-19. As long as he's healthy at game time, Samuel should be back in the lineup for Week 5. He'll handle the No. 1 wideout duties in his second game back from a Jones fracture, and he'll look to build on the 45 yards he recorded on four touches against the Eagles last week.

Thomas (ankle) is listed as questionable for Monday's contest against the Chargers, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Things finally appear to be trending in a positive direction as Katherine Terrell of The Athletic thinks Thomas will inevitably suit up against the Chargers after a three-week absence. It's worth noting the 27-year-old was also a limited participant in practice all last week before eventually being ruled out, although the Saints have seemingly been operating with a three-week timetable ever since the injury occurred. Unfortunately fantasy managers likely won't have complete confidence inserting Thomas into their starting lineups until closer to the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, though multiple games occurring Monday and Tuesday should allow for some lineup flexibility if a surprising decision is made regarding the star wideout's status.

Brown (knee) is listed as questionable for Tuesday's game against the Bills, John Glennon of The Athletic reports.

The Titans were finally able to log a formal practice Saturday and with it saw Brown participate fully. The questionable designation might simply be a cautionary measure by the team, but it certainly seems like a bit of positive news with Corey Davis and Adam Humphries both unlikely to move off the COVID-19 list before Tuesday's game. Kalif Raymond and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine will likely be the No. 2 and 3 receivers if Brown were to be active Tuesday.

Williams (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Saints, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Williams managed to string together limited participation in Friday's practice so it certainly appears as if the big-bodied wideout is trending in the right direction. Fantasy managers will want to monitor Williams' status ahead of Monday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, with Jalen Guyton and Jason Moore likely to see a bump in playing time once more if the wideout is unable to play.

Watkins (upper body) was activated off injured reserve Saturday.

The Eagles will probably take it easy with their rookie, but it's good to see Watkins activated off injured reserve after missing the last four games due to an upper body injury. Watkins returned to practice last Sunday so it'll likely take him a bit to work back into game shape, although both Alshon Jeffery (foot) and DeSean Jackson (hamstring) being ruled out could press the rookie into action, albeit on a limited basis.

Boyd will likely be shadowed by Ravens' corner Marlon Humphrey on Sunday, even with A.J. Green active, Jay Morrison of The Athletic suggests.

Humphrey covered Boyd well last season, holding him to a combined nine catches for 72 yards over two games. This was without Green in the lineup, so it's possible that Humphrey could go back to covering Green, but Boyd clearly has been the bigger threat so far this season. The alternative is Marcus Peters, which isn't really a big step down for that matter.

Harris (hamstring) didn't participate in Friday's practice, Rod Walker of The New Orleans Advocate reports.

With a second straight missed practice, Harris is trending in the wrong direction ahead of Monday's matchup against the Chargers. He's handled a decent workload while Michael Thomas (ankle) has been out of the lineup, recording 38 yards on six receptions and rushing three times for 21 yards. Harris makes most of his impact on special teams as a returner, but Alvin Kamara will likely handle those duties if Harris is forced to sit out.

Thomas (ankle) was a limited practice participant Friday, Rod Walker of The Times-Picayune reports.

Thomas was limited in each practice last week and seems to be following the same routine ahead of Monday's matchup with the Chargers. A full practice Saturday would set him up for a likely return, while another limited session could correspond with a questionable tag and a game-time decision. Thomas was ruled out on the Friday injury report last week, so it would be a sign of progress if he's listed as questionable this time around, even if he doesn't end up playing.

Williams (hamstring) returned to practice in a limited fashion Friday, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports.

Williams' return to practice is important, but his activity in Saturday's session will reveal more about his status for Monday's game against the Saints. If he misses a second straight game, Jalen Guyton and Jason Moore will likely see most of the snaps in three-receiver sets alongside Keenan Allen.

Coach Dirk Koetter said he's confident Zaccheaus and other wide receivers will step up if Julio Jones (hamstring) isn't able to play in Sunday's game against the Panthers, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.

Jones was inactive for Week 3 and unable to make it to halftime in Week 4, thereby allowing Zaccheaus to play 79 and 76 percent of snaps, respectively, which resulted in a combined total of 12 catches for 127 yards on 15 targets. Jones is listed as questionable for Week 5 and being treated as a game-time decision, but his absence from practice throughout the week suggests he's no better than 50-50 to suit up. Zaccheaus could be be looking at a full-time role in a pass-heavy offense, pending Jones's status ahead of the 1 p.m. ET kickoff.