NFL Player News

Samuel (knee) is active for Sunday's game against the Colts.

As interim coach Perry Fewell predicted after Friday's practice concluded, Samuel is available to play Week 16, despite sitting out the Panthers' final session of the week due to the knee injury. The team hasn't indicated that Samuel's snaps will be limited by the injury, but the knee issue further muddles his already cloudy fantasy outlook. Samuel had drawn between four and seven targets in each of his past seven games, but it's unclear how much involvement he'll retain in the passing game with a new quarterback -- rookie third-round pick Will Grier -- making his first career start in place of the struggling Kyle Allen.

Anderson (illness) is active for Sunday's game against the Steelers.

Anderson missed a practice and was limited in another this week after falling ill, but his condition apparently improved enough over the weekend for the Jets to sign off on him playing. Assuming Anderson isn't limited by the ailment as the game unfolds, he should play more than 80 percent of the Jets' offensive snaps, as has been the case in all but one of his appearances this season.

Smith-Schuster (knee) is active for Sunday's game against the Jets, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Smith-Schuster didn't carry an injury designation into the weekend after practicing fully Thursday and Friday, but his status was still somewhat unsettled leading up to kickoff after Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com relayed earlier Sunday that the team was monitoring the wideout's ability to tolerate pain in his knee during a pregame workout before determining his fate. Evidently, Smith-Schuster's knee wasn't too bothersome, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Steelers used him cautiously as he returns from a four-game absence. If Smith-Schuster's snap count ends up being limited Sunday, more reps and targets would open up for Diontae Johnson and James Washington.

Chark (ankle) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Falcons.

Chark, who logged a full slate of limited practices this past week, will thus return to action after missing last weekend's 20-16 win over the Raiders. He should reclaim his prominent role in the Jaguars' passing attack in Week 16 and figures to see his share of targets Sunday in the absence of any in-game setbacks. Thirteen contests into his 2019 campaign, Chark has logged 67 catches on 106 targets for 956 yards and eight TDs. At 5-9, Jacksonville is out of the playoff mix, but Chark still has a couple of potential statistical benchmarks in sight as the season winds down for his team -- specifically, 1,000 receiving yards and the 10-touchdown threshold.

Beckham is scheduled to meet with a core-muscle specialist Jan. 13 to gather more information about the "hernia-like" injury he's been battling for much of the season, Josina Anderson of ESPN reports.

The Browns nor Beckham have officially confirmed that he's dealing with a sports hernia, but he's been listed on the team's injury reports throughout the season with either hip or groin issues. While Beckham hasn't missed a game on account of the injury and is set to play again Sunday against the Ravens, offseason surgery could be in the cards for the wideout as he looks to move past the issue for good. The meeting with the specialist should allow Beckham to decide whether a procedure is necessary or if the core injury is something that can be addressed through rest and rehab during the offseason.

Smith-Schuster (knee) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's contest against the Jets, but the team is viewing the receiver as a game-day decision in advance of the 1 p.m. ET kickoff, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Though Smith-Schuster has received medical clearance to play through the knee issue, the Steelers apparently aren't entirely convinced that he'll be able to play through the lingering pain he's continued to experience. The Steelers will put Smith-Schuster through a workout Sunday morning, after which the team should have a better idea regarding what kind of workload -- if any -- the wideout is capable of handling. With the Steelers clinging to the AFC's final wild-card spot entering Sunday's action, it would certainly behoove the 8-6 squad to have Smith-Schuster available in some capacity, though his shaky health might make it difficult to justify rolling with him in fantasy lineups.

Kirk (ankle), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Seattle, is expected to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Kirk's ankle injury sidelined him for the Cardinals' first practice of Week 16 and limited his participation in the final two sessions, prompting coach Kliff Kingsbury to label the receiver as a "game-day decision" entering the weekend, per Darren Urban of the team's official site. Arizona will presumably put Kirk through a workout early Sunday before rendering a verdict on his status, but barring any setbacks, the wideout appears poised to avoid the inactive list, which will be released 90 minutes prior to the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. Since missing three games on account of the ankle injury between Weeks 5 and 7, Kirk has suited up for each of Arizona's last seven games, scoring three touchdowns (all in Week 10) while averaging 5.3 receptions and 66.7 yards from scrimmage.

Kupp secured all four targets for 31 yards and a touchdown in the Rams' 34-31 loss to the 49ers on Saturday.

Kupp ultimately generated his third straight sub-50-yard effort, but his 22-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter on a perfectly executed crossing pattern marked his fourth straight game with a receiving score. The 26-year-old's target share has uncharacteristically dwindled over the last four games, with Kupp averaging a modest five looks per contest in that span. However, he'll look to close out his career-best campaign on a strong note versus the vulnerable Cardinals secondary Week 17.

Agholor (knee) isn't expected to play Sunday against the Cowboys, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Coach Doug Pederson said Friday the team may need to have a conversation about shutting Agholor down for the season, so it's not a major surprise he may not be suiting up despite being listed as questionable. Assuming he is inactive, the Eagles will be left with Greg Ward, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Robert Davis at wide receiver for the pivotal matchup with Dallas.

Cooks secured four of six targets for 39 yards and a touchdown in the Rams' 34-31 loss to the 49ers on Saturday.

Cooks' receiving yardage total was underwhelming once again, but his 10-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter salvaged his fantasy line. The speedster hadn't visited the end zone since back in Week 2 versus the Saints, which marked his only other score of the campaign. Cooks has back-to-back four-catch games, and he'll look to finish what has been a disappointing season overall on a strong note against the Cardinals in Week 17.