NFL Player News

Palmer brought in one of two targets for 19 yards in the Buccaneers' 37-20 win over the Commanders on Sunday. He also returned one punt for 15 yards.

Palmer, who cleared concussion protocol before the game, logged a modest 20 snaps from scrimmage and 10 additional on special teams. His one reception proved productive, but he notably was in on 30 fewer offensive plays than new No. 3 wideout Jalen McMillan. Palmer figures to continue in a modest role during a Week 4 road battle against the Lions on Sunday.

McMillan brought in his only reception (on three targets) for a 32-yard touchdown in the Buccaneers' 37-20 win over the Commanders on Sunday.

The rookie paid immediate dividends in his first game as a pro, and his day would have been even bigger had he and QB Baker Mayfield connected on a deep shot down the right sideline early in the first quarter. However, the duo made up for the misfire on the first play of the fourth quarter for McMillan's one and only reception of the lopsided win. McMillan did play a robust 50 snaps from scrimmage while last season's No. 3 wideout Trey Palmer was limited to 20, seemingly establishing the former as the clear top option behind starters Mike Evans and Chris Godwin heading into a Week 2 road showdown against the Lions.

Aiyuk had two receptions (on five targets) for 28 yards in Monday's 32-19 win over the Jets.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan foreshadowed that Aiyuk would see a limited role after missing the entire preseason waiting out his contract dispute with the front office. The 2020 first-round pick still saw five targets and did well on a per-touch basis, so fantasy managers shouldn't panic over the Week 1 dud. Better days will be ahead for Aiyuk and the passing game, potentially starting with Sunday's matchup against Minnesota.

Samuel brought in five of nine targets for 54 yards and a carried the ball eight times for 23 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 32-19 win over the Jets.

Samuel produced a typical dual-threat performance with eight rushes and five receptions en route to 13.7 points in standard fantasy formats. With the absence of star running back Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) on Monday, both Samuel and backup running back Jordan Mason (28-147-1) picked up the slack in the backfield to propel San Francisco to its first victory of the 2024 season. Samuel remains a top fantasy option whether he lines up out wide or in the backfield as the 49ers prepare to face the Vikings on Sunday.

Tipton gathered in his only target for six yards during Sunday's 47-10 victory over Carolina.

Tipton saw fairly significant playing time with 17 offensive snaps Sunday. The undrafted wideout from Yale appeared to fill the role left by A.T. Perry, who was inactive with a hand injury. As a result, the rookie caught his first career target on a short pass from starting quarterback Derek Carr midway through the second quarter. Tipton also saw more playing time than 2024 sixth-rounder Bub Means (six snaps), which is a solid sign for the former's current spot in this wide-receiver hierarchy. He should fill a similar role if Perry remains sidelined for next Sunday's road contest at Dallas.

Williams wasn't targeted in Monday's 32-19 loss to the 49ers.

Playing on a pitch count in his recovery from a torn ACL suffered last September, Williams played only four snaps in his first half as a Jet and continued to see minimal action in the second half. The former Chargers wide receiver is likely to gradually ramp up his workload, so he could be more involved Week 2 against the Titans, but Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard should continue to lead the Jets' receiving corps early in the season after combining for 12 catches, 149 yards and two touchdowns on 20 targets Monday.

Lazard caught six of nine targets for 89 yards and two touchdowns in Monday's 32-19 loss to the 49ers.

Early on, Lazard looked like the same player that caught just 23 of 49 targets for 311 yards last season, as he dropped a catchable ball on third down to end the Jets' opening drive and finished without a catch on two first-half targets. He turned things around in the second half, rekindling his chemistry with Aaron Rodgers from their Packers days with a 26-yard catch and a 36-yard touchdown reception in a four-play span. Lazard added a three-yard touchdown catch in the final minute from backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who replaced Rodgers for mop-up duty with the game out of reach. It took Lazard just one game to double last season's touchdown total, and he should continue to play a prominent role Week 2 against the Titans, as the Jets are bringing fellow wide receiver Mike Williams (zero targets) along slowly early in the season as Williams recovers from last September's ACL tear.

Means compiled zero receptions (on one target) for zero yards during Sunday's 47-10 victory over the Panthers.

Means got onto the field late in the fourth quarter, finishing with the fewest offensive snaps of the five wide receivers who played for the Saints on Sunday. The rookie out of Pittsburgh didn't show up on the offensive stat sheet outside of one target, and his only other notable moment came when he drew an offensive holding penalty on the opening kickoff return. Second-year wideout A.T. Perry was also inactive with a hand injury Week 1. When this wide receiver corps is fully healthy, it's likely that Means will be spending the vast majority of games on the sideline this season. He could see fringe playing time if Perry remains out for next Sunday's road game at Dallas.

Wilson caught six of 11 targets for 60 yards in Monday's 32-19 loss to the 49ers.

All 46 of Wilson's first-half receiving yards came on the Jets' touchdown drive on the third possession, but Aaron Rodgers threw for only two yards on the team's other five first-half possessions. Allen Lazard led the Jets' passing game with 89 yards and two touchdown catches in the second half, while Wilson remained stuck in first gear. Expectations are high for Wilson with a healthy Rodgers after the 2022 first-round draft pick began his career with a pair of 1,000-yard seasons despite abhorrent quarterback play. Wilson's volume Monday was encouraging, but he'll look to pick up the production Week 2 against a Titans defense that's much less intimidating than San Francisco's, even with the offseason addition of cornerback L'Jarius Sneed.

Wilson hauled in one of two targets for five yards during Sunday's 34-28 loss at Buffalo.

The Cardinals trotted out rookie Marvin Harrison, Wilson and Greg Dortch as their starting wide receivers to begin the year, but the first two had just one catch apiece while Dortch compiled a 6-47-0 line on eight targets. It's unlikely that Harrison and Wilson will be held down too often this season, but the pair also has to contend with TE Trey McBride (nine targets Sunday) and RB James Conner (four targets) for the attention of QB Kyler Murray. Wilson will seek to get his 2024 season on track during a Week 2 matchup with the Rams this coming Sunday.