NFL Player News

Vele caught all three of his targets for 28 yards in Sunday's 28-14 win over the Panthers.

Vele played 34 percent of Denver's offensive snaps Sunday, his lowest snap percentage of the season. In four games, the rookie wideout is averaging four catches for roughly 41 yards per contest while playing under 50 percent of snaps in all but one game. Vele has flashed his play-making potential since training camp, but he's yet to make much of an impact during the 2024 campaign. With fellow rookie Bo Nix starting to take a step forward as a passer, it's possible Vele could become more of a factor down the stretch. With that said, he'll continue to contend for targets with fellow wide receivers Courtland Sutton, Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims. The Broncos now head to Baltimore to square off against the Ravens in Week 9.

Humphrey secured four of six targets for 22 yards in Sunday's 28-14 win over the Panthers.

Humphrey played the second-most offensive snaps (44) at wide receiver Sunday, behind Courtland Sutton (61) and ahead of Troy Franklin (27), Devaughn Vele (25) and Marvin Mims (21). Operating as the Broncos' No. 2 wideout, the 26-year-old Humphrey was unable to make much noise for fantasy purposes, continuing his underwhelming season. The veteran has failed to find the end zone through eight weeks and remains extremely difficult to trust despite his increased playing time in recent weeks. Humphrey and the Broncos will visit the Ravens in Week 9.

Beckham was not targeted during Sunday's 28-27 loss to the Cardinals.

Beckham has now failed to log a single catch through three appearances in a Dolphins uniform, and in his first appearance with Tua Tagovailoa back under center the veteran wideout didn't even draw a target. Rookie sixth-round pick Malik Washington, who also wasn't targeted versus Arizona, played 16 offensive snaps while Beckham played just 11. A tough Week 9 matchup against the Bills won't do Beckham any favors.

Thornton caught two of his three targets for 20 yards in Sunday's 25-22 win over the Jets.

Ja'Lynn Polk was out Sunday due to a concussion, so Thornton returned from two straight healthy scratches to log 12 of a possible 67 snaps on offense, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. As long as Thornton continues to work behind DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne, however, the 2022 second-rounder will remain off the fantasy radar in all but the deepest of formats.

Bourne logged 52 of a possible 67 snaps on offense in Sunday's 25-22 win over the Jets, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Though Bourne's snap count was his highest since being activated from the PUP list in advance of Week 5 action, he didn't catch any of his three targets Sunday. Regardless of who starts at QB for the Patriots in Week 9 against the Titans, Bourne isn't an enticing fantasy option after managing just a 4-29-0 receiving line on eight targets through his first four outings this season.

Boutte was on the field for 55 of a possible 67 snaps on offense in Sunday's 25-22 win over the Jets, catching three of his six targets for 46 yards, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

For the third straight game, Boutte led the Patriots' wideouts in snaps, and in the process the 2023 sixth-rounder tied TE Hunter Henry with a team-high six targets in Week 8. Given that he's earned steady playing time of late, Boutte could be worth a look in deeper leagues, but so far he's topped out at three catches and 59 yards in a single game.

Thomas (chest) will undergo an MRI on his ribs Monday as the Jaguars look to determine his status for their Week 9 game against the Eagles, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The standout rookie played only 29 snaps in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Packers before exiting in the second half with what the Jaguars termed a chest injury, finishing with three catches for 60 yards and a touchdown on four targets. Thomas will get checked for a potential rib fracture Monday, putting his availability for Week 9's contest in jeopardy. The 22-year-old was one of three Jaguars receivers to suffer injuries in the contest, as Christian Kirk (collarbone) and Gabe Davis (shoulder) also made early exits.

Williams wasn't targeted in Sunday's 25-22 loss to the Patriots.

Williams has clearly lost the trust of Aaron Rodgers, as Williams played 58 percent of offensive snaps in the absence of Allen Lazard (chest) but wasn't thrown to at all. Xavier Gipson got the only target by a Jets wide receiver other than Garrett Wilson or Davante Adams, and Gipson made the most of that opportunity by scoring a one-yard touchdown. Williams is unlikely to play a significant role in Week 9 against the Texans, if he isn't traded by then.

Gipson caught his only target for a one-yard touchdown in Sunday's 25-22 loss to the Patriots.

Gipson made the most of his first target since Week 4, securing a tough catch on a low throw right at the goal line, which was upheld as a touchdown upon review. His contributions as a slot receiver come second to Gipson's special teams exploits. The second-year pro had 71 yards on four punt returns.

Sutton caught eight of 11 passes for 100 yards in Sunday's 28-14 win over the Panthers.

In rookie quarterback Bo Nix's best performance yet, Sutton broke out for his first 100-yard game of the campaign and a season high in receptions. Nix may have made it a point of emphasis to get the ball to Sutton after the fifth-year wideout went without a target the week before against the Saints, but given the results, he isn't likely to be forgotten about again. Sutton could be in line for big numbers again Week 9 against a Ravens secondary that has struggled all year and just got torched for a 7-99-2 line by the unheralded Cedric Tillman and a 5-79-0 line by former Bronco Jerry Jeudy.