NFL Player News

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Dell (knee) will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL and dislocated kneecap in his left knee, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Dell will miss the remainder of his Year 2 campaign due to a pair of severe injuries sustained during Saturday's loss to the Chiefs, which occurred while hauling in a 30-yard touchdown from QB C.J. Stroud in the third quarter. The severity of Dell's injuries required that he was carted off the field and transported to a local hospital. Expect Houston to officially place Dell on IR in the near future and for him to undergo surgery to begin his recovery process. John Metchie (shoulder), Robert Woods and Xavier Hutchinson will now be called upon to step up at wide receiver behind Nico Collins.

Smith-Schuster failed to reel in his only target during Saturday's 27-19 win over the Texans.

Smith-Schuster saw his snap count decline to 39 percent with the return of Hollywood Brown to the lineup Saturday, after having played over 50 percent of snaps in his prior four appearances. With Xavier Worthy and DeAndre Hopkins also available as starters in three-wide sets, Smith-Schuster's role on offense for Kansas City is now clearly a depth one, especially with Brown's involvement to be ramped up. Smith-Schuster can safely be relegated to the waiver wire in the majority of fantasy formats heading into a road matchup against the Steelers on Wednesday.

Bourne caught both of his targets for 18 yards in Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Bills.

Bourne -- who had caught three passes in each of his previous three outings -- was on the field for 51 of the Patriots' 73 snaps on offense Sunday, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. As the team's final two games approach, Bourne carries modest fantasy upside in PPR formats.

Atwell secured one of two targets for 12 yards during Sunday's 19-9 win against the Jets.

Only three wideouts for the Rams recorded catches against the Jets, with Puka Nacua (8-56-0) and Cooper Kupp (3-24-0) mostly subdued by the potent Jets secondary. Atwell saw the field for only 11 snaps on offense, yet saw two targets in that span, double that of Demarcus Robinson. Without consistent time on the field, however, Atwell's role will continue to be suppressed, making him difficult to place in fantasy lineups with a matchup against the Cardinals on deck Week 17.

Gipson returned three kickoffs for 99 yards and had one punt return for no gain in Sunday's 19-9 loss to the Rams. He didn't record a target or carry and lost a fumble.

Gipson contributed a 42-yard kickoff return to provide some special-teams value despite a lack of involvement on offense. That contribution was overshadowed by his muffed punt in the fourth quarter, which was a microcosm of the Jets' season. New York had just gotten a stop with 1:44 remaining but burned all three timeouts in the process. Instead of the offense having a chance to at least make it a one-possession game and hope for an onside kick, Gipson's fumble allowed the Rams to retain possession and kneel out the clock.

Robinson failed to catch his lone target during Sunday's 19-9 victory against the Jets.

It was the same stat line for the third game in a row for the veteran, and the only pass sent Robinson's way was picked off by Jets safety Tony Adams. Despite continuing to be on the field at the same clip as fellow starters Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, Robinson hasn't secured more than two catches in a game since Week 9 and likely will continue to see a limited role on offense against the Cardinals in Week 17.

Lazard caught two of five targets for 20 yards in Sunday's 19-9 loss to the Rams.

Lazard's ongoing issues with drops resurfaced in this game, as he added a couple more to his ledger. His unreliable hands coupled with a modest target share as the No. 3 wideout behind Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson limit Lazard's fantasy appeal ahead of a Week 17 trip to Buffalo.

Slayton caught one of two targets for 21 yards and gained six rushing yards on his only carry in Sunday's 34-7 Week 16 loss to the Falcons.

Slayton got his second carry of the season late in the first quarter with New York in the red zone, logging a six-yard rush to help set up the team's lone score. The veteran wideout's only other touch was a 21-yard reception late in the fourth period. Slayton's two targets put him well behind Malik Nabers (14 targets) and Wan'Dale Robinson (12) in the pecking order, which has been the case throughout most of the campaign. With only 38 catches for 541 yards through Week 16, Slayton is on pace to finish with his fewest receptions and receiving yards since 2021.

Woods did not record a catch on three targets in Sunday's 24-6 loss to the Bengals in Week 16.

Woods has operated as the No. 3 wideout the last four weeks, but there are limitations to his fantasy viability given Cleveland's unsteady quarterback play. He's caught six passes on 14 targets for 62 yards during his spike in playing time. His increase in snap count is directly related to Cedric Tillman (concussion) being unavailable. Whether Tillman eventually returns or not, Woods will audition over the final two weeks for a spot on what is expected to be an overhauled roster in 2025.

Boutte recorded five receptions on seven targets for 95 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Bills.

Boutte was a major driver of the New England offense, with his first contribution coming on a beautiful 28-yard connection with Drake Maye in the front right corner of the end zone on the team's first offensive possession. He was consistently targeted by Maye deep down the field thereafter, which led to additional long receptions of 31 and 22 yards. Boutte has struggled with inconsistency this season, though his playmaking ability could cause Maye to look his way more often in the final two games of the campaign.