NFL Player News

Pickens (hamstring) is not expected to be available for Sunday's road matchup against the Eagles, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Pickens appears in line to miss a second consecutive contest due to what league sources informed Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com of on Monday is a Grade 2 hamstring strain. The Steelers haven't yet officially disclosed the severity of Pickens' injury or his presumed status for Week 15, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the team take a cautious approach with its No. 1 wideout's recovery. Pittsburgh's divisional road matchup against Baltimore in Week 16 could, tentatively, be a better target date for Pickens to retake the field. Tight end Pat Freiermuth and wide receivers Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, Mike Williams, Ben Skowronek and Scotty Miller all will benefit from increased target opportunities as long as Pickens is unable to go.

Pearsall had one reception (on two targets) for five yards in Sunday's 38-13 rout of the Bears.

Pearsall turned in another poor fantasy outing, but this time there wasn't a snow storm to dismiss the low production. The first-round rookie was in for 49 percent of San Francisco's offensive snaps as he continues to serve as the team's No. 3 option behind starters Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings. Despite his recent struggles, those in deeper leagues may consider Pearsall in Week 15 for a potential high-scoring affair against the Rams on Thursday Night Football.

Pickens (hamstring), who was inactive for Sunday's 27-14 win over the Browns, is believed to be nursing a Grade 2 strain, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Pickens popped up on Pittsburgh's injury report late during Week 14 prep after he was limited in Friday's practice. The final decision to hold him out versus Cleveland reportedly wasn't made until late Sunday morning, an indication that the Steelers had some hope the standout wide receiver could play through his hamstring issue. A Grade 2 strain, though, could tentatively also impede Pickens' availability Week 15 on the road against Philadelphia, if not for a longer stretch. As long as Pickens can't go, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, Mike Williams, Ben Skowronek and Scotty Miller, as well as tight end Pat Freiermuth, will be called upon to handle expanded opportunities in the receiving game.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said Monday that Robinson (shoulder) sustained an AC joint sprain during Sunday's 44-42 win over the Bills, making his status uncertain for Thursday's road matchup against the 49ers, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.

Robinson finished with zero catches (on one target) during Sunday's high-scoring affair, though he had a number of notable plays, including what would have been a 56-yard catch, wiped away by penalties. He also briefly left the game due to a shoulder injury but was able to retake the field. McVay said he hopes Robinson's availability for Week 15 won't be impacted, but the veteran wideout's practice status will need to be monitored leading up to Thursday's contest.

Crowder (calf) was designated to return from IR on Monday.

Crowder hasn't played since Week 3 due to his calf issue, but he may finally be nearing a return. He'll now have a 21-day window to practice with the team before having to be placed on the 53-man roster or reverting to IR. However, even if he's eventually activated, the veteran wideout won't likely have much of a role in the Commanders' offense and has only played 12 offensive snaps across two games this season.

Lazard (chest) caught his only target for 18 yards in Sunday's 32-26 overtime loss to the Dolphins.

Seeing his first action since Week 7, Lazard played 78 percent of snaps on offense, so his lack of production wasn't due to a lack of playing time. He's a distant third on the Jets' wide receiver depth chart behind Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams, who combined for 223 yards and a touchdown on 21 targets against the Dolphins. Lazard will be a touchdown-dependent Week 15 fantasy option against a Jaguars defense that's giving up 26.5 points per game.

Miller secured three of four targets for 38 yards during Sunday's 27-14 win over the Browns.

Miller didn't see the field in either of Pittsburgh's last two games, but he played 52 percent of the team's offensive snaps Sunday since George Pickens (hamstring) was inactive. Miller recorded his first catches since Week 3, but it seems unlikely that he'll maintain a role once Pickens is back to full health.

Austin secured one of four targets for four yards during Sunday's 27-14 win over the Browns.

Although the Steelers were without George Pickens (hamstring) during Sunday's matchup, Austin didn't see a significant uptick in playing time. The 25-year-old saw his highest number of targets since Week 10 against Washington, but he was held under 10 receiving yards for the second time in the last eight games, and he failed to score a touchdown after reaching the end zone in each of the prior two weeks. Austin has had some flashes of fantasy upside this year, but his output remains inconsistent.

Jefferson secured his lone target for a 10-yard touchdown during Sunday's 27-14 win over Cleveland.

The 28-year-old led Steelers wideouts in offensive snaps Sunday with George Pickens (hamstring) sidelined, but Jefferson failed to really capitalize on his playing time. The veteran WR's yardage total dropped in Week 14 after he racked up 82 receiving yards across the prior two games, but he at least reached the end zone for the first time since Week 7 on a 10-yard touchdown reception midway through the third quarter. While Jefferson has delivered decent production over the last three weeks, he's had a limited target share, securing just four of six targets during that time. He remains a shaky fantasy option.

Woods caught one of three targets for 12 yards in Sunday's 27-14 loss to the Steelers in Week 14.

He was elevated to the active roster for a second consecutive game, as Cedric Tillman (concussion) was inactive once again. Woods' 63 snaps were third among all pass-catchers, behind only Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku. Woods has four catches on eight targets for 55 yards in his two appearances.