NFL Player News

Samuel brought in all three of his targets for 17 yards in the 49ers' 31-17 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.

Samuel's three grabs actually checked in second behind only George Kittle for the 49ers on the afternoon, although the rookie did lose his grip on the ball at the Buccaneers' 25-yard line late in the second quarter to short-circuit what would have almost certainly been a point-generating possession. Samuel notably drew even with more experienced options Kendrick Bourne and Marquise Goodwin in targets, and he outpaced Dante Pettis by a pair of looks. Coach Kyle Shanahan seems content with spreading the ball pretty evenly among his various receivers, so it could be difficult to trust Samuel's production week to week, with his first-year status only making things murkier.

James brought in one of two targets for a 39-yard touchdown in the 49ers' 31-17 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.

The 2018 seventh-round pick enjoyed active status with both Trent Taylor (foot) and Jalen Hurd (back) sidelined, and he took advantage of his opportunity with a 39-yard touchdown grab to cap off the 49ers' first possession of the second half. James saw action in 13 games last season and has a special-teams role as well, so he should continue filling a role of varying degree each week for the foreseeable future.

Gallup caught all seven of his targets for 158 yards in Sunday's 35-17 win over the Giants.

While he wasn't on the receiving end of one of Dak Prescott's four TD passes on the afternoon, Gallup was instrumental in setting them up, and he nearly doubled his prior career high of 81 receiving yards in Week 7 of last year. The extraordinary performance from the entire Dallas passing game under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore bodes well for Gallup's chances of having a breakout second NFL campaign.

Cooper caught six of nine targets for 106 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 35-17 win over the Giants.

The Dallas passing game exploded to begin the season, and while seven different players caught passes from Dak Prescott and four different receivers were on the end of TD tosses, Cooper led the group in targets. The former Raider didn't seem to be bothered by his lingering plantar fasciitis, and if new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore keeps pushing the pace through the air, Cooper could wind up easily topping the career-high 83 catches and 1,153 yards he produced in 2016.

Evans, who entered the day with a questionable tag due to illness, brought in two of five targets for 28 yards in the Buccaneers' 31-17 loss to the 49ers on Sunday.

Not only was Evans' final line a significant disappointment, but Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports the ailing receiver took himself out of the game on multiple occasions in the first half alone due to his health issues. The Pro Bowl wideout looked anything but against some stingy coverage from Richard Sherman, which likely only exacerbated whatever residual illness he was still dealing with. Jameis Winston's generally poor play was more or less the proverbial final nail in the coffin for Evans on Sunday, but the big wideout will have an immediate opportunity to bounce back in a Week 2 battle against the Panthers on Thursday night.

Godwin brought in three of six targets for 53 yards and a touchdown in the Buccaneers' 31-17 loss to the 49ers on Sunday.

Godwin was the only offensive player for the Buccaneers to cross the goal line and have it stick Sunday, as he logged a 10-yard scoring grab in the third quarter. The touchdown salvaged an otherwise underwhelming fantasy line for the third-year receiver, who's expected to have a significant role in coach Bruce Arians' offense. Naturally, Jameis Winston's ragged performance didn't help Godwin's prospects, and neither did the frequent duress that limited the quarterback's ability to look downfield. Godwin will look to up his numbers across the board on a short turnaround when the Buccaneers take on the Panthers in a Week 2 Thursday night tilt.

Allen snared eight of his 10 targets for 123 yards and a touchdown in the overtime 30-24 victory over the Colts on Sunday.

Allen led the way for the Chargers in receptions, targets and receiving yards, with both Mike Williams and Travis Benjamin rarely factoring in Sunday. Allen's lone touchdown came on a tremendous contested catch, leaping over two secondary players to come down with the pivotal reception. The 27-year-old's role as an intermediate demon is unquestioned, but he might prove to be a larger factor in the red zone if Williams, who left the game late with a knee injury, ends up missing any time.

Doss has been signed by the Raiders, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Doss actually rejected Oakland's initial offer to stay with Jacksonville's practice squad, but the Raiders upped their offer, determined to add to a receiving corps depleted by Antonio Brown's stunning departure.

Lockett caught one of two targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's win over the Bengals.

It's business as usual for Lockett, who wasn't targeted until the fourth quarter but still finished with a respectable stat line after hauling in a game-winning, 44-yard score. Lockett doesn't usually draw a lot of targets, and Russell Wilson targeted DK Metcalf six times and Chris Carson seven times in this outing. Getting Carson involved in the passing game was the coaching staff's plan, but Metcalf making an impact this early in the season isn't a good sign for Lockett considering there are few targets to go around anyway. Lockett will continue to be a risky, touchdown-dependent fantasy asset going forward.

Moore caught seven of 10 targets for 76 yards during Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Rams. He lost a fumble during the contest.

It wasn't the best season debut for the sophomore receiver as he lost a fumble during a catch-and-run during the season's opening drive. Moore recovered to finish the game second in catches, targets, and yards behind Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey and veteran tight end Greg Olsen figure to have games in which they lead the way in targets, but Moore -- absent many proven commodities at receiver -- should follow close behind and get more opportunities for yards downfield in what may be a more pocket-focused Carolina attack. Next up is division foe Tampa Bay on Thursday night.