NFL Player News

Samuel caught three of four targets for 51 yards in Sunday's 31-21 win over the Cardinals. He also lost three yards on two carries.

Samuel hauled in a pass of 24 yards for the second straight week, tying for Carolina's longest play of Sunday's game. That contribution helped Samuel place second on the team in receiving yards despite ranking fifth in targets. With a couple of carries as well, the Panthers continued to use Samuel in a variety of ways, but he failed to make a positive impact on the ground. Through four games this season, Samuel has totaled 25 touches for 182 yards but is yet to score a touchdown, capping his value as he seeks more impactful plays.

Reynolds caught three of four targets for 25 yards during Sunday's 17-9 win over the Giants. He played 30 of 57 offensive snaps.

After splitting time with rookie Van Jefferson through the first two weeks of the season, Reynolds has played 92 offensive snaps to Jefferson's 11 the past two games. Reynolds is clearly the No. 3 wide receiver on the depth chart for the time being, and while it hasn't translated into significant fantasy production, the fourth-year wideout has a respectable seven receptions for 85 yards through the past two weeks. In deep settings, he's a player to keep an eye on and would obviously gain value if injuries struck the Los Angeles receiving corps.

Peoples-Jones returned three kickoffs for 73 yards and one punt for 13 yards in Sunday's 49-38 win over Dallas.

Peoples-Jones made his NFL debut after being inactive the first three weeks. With JoJo Natson (knee) sidelined, Peoples-Jones took on the role as the team's top returner, but he was also needed on offense. He played 33 snaps (zero targets) and filled in for third wideout KhaDarel Hodge, who injured his groin during pre-game warmups. Natson's injury is season-ending, so the rookie Peoples-Jones could be a regular on the gameday roster for the rest of the season.

Jefferson only played three offensive snaps and failed to catch his only target during Sunday's 17-9 win over the Giants.

The rookie has now played just 11 offensive snaps over the past two weeks, so fantasy managers should probably be looking elsewhere in the majority of seasonal settings. There's potential, especially in the years to come, but Jefferson's probably nothing more than a player to keep tabs on at this stage of the 2020 campaign.

Bourne had three receptions (six targets) for 33 yards in Sunday's 25-20 loss to the Eagles.

Bourne's six targets actually led all San Francisco wideouts, but in true Kyle Shanahan style, a running back and tight end surpassed his target share. The veteran wideout has had a steady floor through four games, but the lack of touchdowns has hurt the potential for fantasy value. The return of Deebo Samuel (foot) and the emergence of rookie Brandon Aiyuk could end up cutting into Bourne's production going forward.

Woods caught six of seven targets for 35 yards and rushed once for two yards during Sunday's 17-9 win over the Giants.

While this was the veteran's first fantasy dud of the season, it's actually his second poor receiving showing through four games. Woods was held to just two receptions for 14 yards in Week 2 against Philadelphia, but a rushing touchdown kept him productive for fantasy managers. Quarterback Jared Goff threw to nine different receivers Sunday, but Woods remained a go-to option. He tied with fellow wideout Cooper Kupp for tops on the team with seven targets Sunday. It's definitely discouraging that Woods didn't capitalize on a soft matchup against the basement-dwelling Giants, but the entire Rams offense was in a funk. Look for a bounce-back showing from the typically reliable Woods in Week 5 against Washington.

Hodge did not play in Sunday's win over Dallas after suffering a hamstring injury during pre-game warmups.

The Browns went to the next man up as the No. 3 wideout, using rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones as a fill-in. Hodge had cemented the job as the third wideout, so if healthy, he will resume the role Week 5 against the Colts.

Samuel (foot) caught all three of his targets for 35 yards and added 10 yards on one carry in Sunday's 25-20 loss to the Eagles.

Samuel was activated off injured reserve prior to Sunday's contest after undergoing offseason surgery on his injured foot. The 24-year-old was eased back into action in a limited role, but still produced numbers similar to his pre-injury performance, at least on a per-snap basis. Expect Samuel's workload to increase next week against the Dolphins as the wideout inches toward being back to full strength.

Ward caught four of seven targets for 38 yards in Sunday's 25-20 win over San Francisco.

With the majority of the Eagles' wideout corps sidelined, Ward became Carson Wentz's favorite target. Practice squad receiver Travis Fulgham caught the lone passing touchdown of the game, but Ward was clearly the top receiver while operating out of the slot. The former quarterback has PPR appeal heading into a matchup against the Steelers on Sunday after garnering 18 targets (12 receptions) over his previous two contests.

Aiyuk had two receptions (five targets) for 18 yards, but did most of his damage on a 38-yard touchdown run in a loss to the Eagles on Sunday.

Aiyuk remained in the starting lineup as Deebo Samuel (foot) was eased back into action. The dynamic rookie put his after-the-catch skills on display when he took a backwards pass behind the line of scrimmage and bounced off of two tackles before hurdling a diving defender and landing in the end zone. It was a highlight-reel play that flashed the potential Aiyuk has to rip off a big play at any moment. It is unclear if the Arizona State product will remain a starter against the Dolphins on Sunday now that the receiver he was replacing (Samuel) is back in the fold. Either way, Aiyuk proved that he doesn't need a ton of touches -- or receptions for that matter -- to make an impact on the scoreboard.