NFL Player News

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Austin (shoulder) will be a limited participant in practice to begin Week 6 prep, but the wideout could ramp up his workload later in the week and potentially be ready to play Sunday against the Browns, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Austin was forced out early in the fourth quarter of the Steelers' 24-21 win over the Vikings in Dublin in Week 4 due to the shoulder injury, but a Week 5 bye has afforded him some time to heal. Though Tomlin noted that Austin aggressively attacked his rehab over the bye week, the Steelers aren't ready to turn him loose for full contact just yet. However, if Austin is able to advance to full participation Friday in the Steelers' final practice of the week, he should have a good chance at suiting up against Cleveland.

Dortch caught both of his targets for 12 yards in Sunday's loss to the Titans.

With Zay Jones back in the lineup after missing Week 4 with a concussion, Dortch played a season-low seven percent of the offensive snaps against Tennessee. On the season, Dortch has reeled in 10 of 11 targets for 59 yards and no touchdowns. He has minimal fantasy appeal outside the deepest of leagues.

Wallace wasn't targeted while playing four snaps on offense in Sunday's 44-10 loss to the Texans.

Wallace had seen a healthy share of playing time through the first four weeks, logging at least 30 percent of the offensive snaps in each of those contests. His playing time dwindled Sunday, however, as the Ravens had fewer snaps available at receiver while deploying more two tight end sets featuring some combination of Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar. Wallace hadn't been seeing much in the way of looks in the passing game prior to Sunday, drawing a total of five targets through four games.

Jones caught two of three targets for eight yards in the Cardinals' loss to the Titans on Sunday.

Jones returned from his one-week absence due to a concussion and played 50 percent of the offensive snaps. He has an uninspiring 5-37-0 receiving line on seven targets across four games this season and is well off the fantasy radar.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott revealed Monday that Coleman didn't play in the first series of Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Patriots due to a disciplinary matter, Alec White of the team's official site reports.

As a result of missing the first possession, Coleman played just 42 of the Bills' 68 offensive snaps on the night, with his 62 percent share representing his lowest mark since he logged 51 percent of snaps in Week 2, when Buffalo rested several key players late in a 20-point win over the Jets. McDermott didn't go into much detail about Coleman's benching beyond noting that the staff is "looking for more consistency" from the second-year wideout. For his part, Coleman seemed to respond well to the disciplinary decision, as he finished the Week 5 loss with four catches for 23 yards on seven targets, including a two-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Look for Coleman's playing time to tick back up a bit in Week 6 against the Falcons, though quarterback Josh Allen's tendency to spread the ball around to Buffalo's pass catchers renders Coleman a volatile option in weekly fantasy lineups.

Hopkins caught both of his targets for 46 yards in Sunday's 44-10 loss to the Texans.

Despite the Ravens' offensive struggles Sunday, Hopkins still capitalized on his opportunities. Hopkins has been one of the more efficient receivers in the NFL this season with seven catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets, but he'll struggle to deliver meaningful fantasy value if he continues to handle a part-time role. His 11 snaps on offense Sunday were more of the same, as he hasn't topped 20 snaps in a game this season.

Bateman failed to record a reception on three targets in Sunday's 44-10 loss to the Texans.

The Ravens were without starting quarterback Lamar Jackson (hamstring) on Sunday, and the offense struggled mightily under Cooper Rush's stewardship. Through five games, Bateman's production has lagged, as he's been limited to 10 catches for 112 yards and a touchdown on 20 targets. Bateman is maintaining an 11.8 average depth of target and has drawn a target on 20 percent of his routes, but it's not translating into useful numbers. If Jackson remains out again Week 6 versus the Rams, Bateman could have difficulty emerging from his season-long slumber.

Thornton finished with three catches for 90 yards on five targets in Monday's 31-28 loss to the Jaguars.

After drawing a team-high nine targets in the Chiefs' Week 3 win over the Giants, Thornton saw his role in the passing game take a significant hit in the Week 4 win over the Ravens, when Kansas City returned Xavier Worthy from a two-game absence. Though he still ranked fourth among Chiefs receivers in snap share (45 percent) and ranked fourth overall in targets in Monday's win, Thornton was able to make the most of his opportunities. He accounted for three of the Chiefs' four biggest plays of the night, ripping off gains of 34, 32 and 24 yards on downfield throws by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. As one of the speedier players on the roster, Thornton could continue to have a role as a vertical threat even when Rashee Rice returns from suspension Week 7, but Thornton's game-to-game production will likely be somewhat volatile.

Worthy (shoulder/ankle) corralled six of nine targets for 42 yards and took his only carry for nine yards in Monday's 31-28 loss to the Jaguars.

Worthy popped up on the Week 5 injury report after being a full participant in practice when he experienced swelling in his ankle on the flight to Jacksonville. The speedy wideout was able to finish Monday's loss in good health, but it's worth noting that he left the contest briefly to have his ankle examined after getting tackled on one of his six receptions. The injury scare comes just one week after Worthy returned from a shoulder injury that cost him two games of action. Kansas City's offense is clearly more explosive when Worthy is on the field, so managers are hoping for a clean bill of health heading into a potential shootout against the Lions on Sunday Night Football in Week 6.

Brown brought in four of eight targets for 48 yards in the Chiefs' 31-28 loss to the Jaguars on Monday night.

Brown tied for second on the Chiefs in targets while checking in third in both receptions and receiving yards. The busy night for the veteran wideout was par for the course thus far this season, as Brown has no fewer than five targets in any of his first five contests. Brown also recorded his first catch of at least 20 yards since Week 1 on Monday night, and he'll continue to profile as a key target for Patrick Mahomes in a Week 6 Sunday night showdown at home against the Lions.