NFL Player News

Evans caught five of six targets for 61 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 37-20 win over Washington.

Evans finished third in receiving yards for the Buccaneers while logging the most fantasy points by scoring twice in the win. The superstar wideout is fresh off of a contract extension and looks to be in sync with starting quarterback Baker Mayfield to kick things off this fantasy campaign. Evans will face a stiffer test in terms of defensive backs when the Bucs face the Lions next Sunday, but the WR1 should always crack starting fantasy lineups so long as he is 100 percent healthy.

Berrios failed to secure either of his two targets during the Dolphins' 20-17 win over the Jaguars on Sunday.

Berrios was unable to make an impact in the receiving game despite working as the No. 3 wideout behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. He did return two punts for two yards. Berrios' next chance to produce will come Week 2 on Thursday versus Buffalo, though his opportunities could dip if rookie Malik Washington (oblique) manages to get healthy enough to make his NFL debut.

Legette caught four of seven targets for 35 yards in Sunday's 47-10 rout at the hands of the Saints.

The 32nd overall pick in the 2024 Draft led the Panthers in targets in his NFL debut, but Legette's longest gain went for only 18 yards as Bryce Young struggled to get anything going through the air. The rookie was brought in to provide Young with a downfield threat while veterans Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson handled underneath routes, but Legette may not get many chances to stretch the field if his QB continues to stagnate. The Carolina offense will try to regroup ahead of a Week 2 matchup with the Chargers.

Johnson caught two of six targets for 19 yards in Sunday's 47-10 loss to the Saints.

The former Steeler finished second on the Panthers in targets in his debut for the team, but Johnson was rarely on the same page with second-year QB Bryce Young. Johnson saw his numbers decline in his final two years for Pittsburgh due to erratic quarterback play, and it looks like his situation may have gotten even worse with the offseason move to Carolina. The target volume was at least mildly encouraging, and Johnson will try to do more with his looks in Week 2 against the Chargers.

Thielen caught three of four targets for 49 yards in Sunday's 47-10 rout at the hands of the Saints.

The veteran wideout didn't post particularly impressive numbers, but he still led the Panthers in receiving yards, with most of the real estate coming on a 32-yard reception in garbage time during the fourth quarter. Thielen topped 1,000 yards in his first year with Carolina, but he'll likely need Bryce Young to take a big step forward in his development to reach that mark again in 2024, something that there was little evidence of Sunday. Thielen and the Panthers passing game will try to shake off this performance in Week 2 against the Chargers.

McCaffrey caught all three of his targets for 18 yards in Sunday's 37-20 loss to the Buccaneers.

McCaffrey actually led all Washington wideouts in receiving yards in his NFL debut, besting Terry McLaurin by one yard. The rookie third-round pick's total was fourth on the team overall behind running backs Austin Ekeler (52) and Brian Robinson (48), as well as tight end Zach Ertz (28), as quarterback Jayden Daniels spent all game either checking the ball down or scrambling. The rookie quarterback-receiver combo has a chance to develop a strong connection down the line, but both Daniels and McCaffrey are still raw heading into Week 2 against the Giants, which was illustrated by McCaffrey's inability to get his feet inbounds after getting open on a two-point conversion attempt late in the loss to Tampa Bay.

McLaurin caught two of four targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 37-20 loss to the Buccaneers.

No Commanders wide receiver had more than 18 yards, as Washington went with a run-heavy approach, and quarterback Jayden Daniels checked the ball down underneath when asked to throw it. Daniels flashed a big arm at LSU prior to being drafted second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, so perhaps McLaurin will be a bigger part of the game plan Week 2 against the beatable Giants secondary.

Palmer caught two of four targets for 15 yards in Sunday's 22-10 win over the Raiders.

Palmer at least had the aura of a No. 1 target as the Raiders seemed to deliberately take away the fourth-year wide receiver during the few times Justin Herbert dropped back to pass in the first half. Both Ladd McConkey (seven) and Quentin Johnston (five) drew more targets than Palmer, but both had schemed looks scattered in throughout a game that saw the teams combine for nearly 50 rushing attempts. A Week 2 matchup against a Panthers defense that allowed 47 points in the season opener could reveal more information on the target hierarchy in 2024.

Johnston tallied three receptions on five targets for 38 yards in Sunday's 22-10 win over the Raiders.

Johnston was actually the team's leading receiver heading into the fourth quarter, but two of his catches were first-read looks for minimal yards and his longest, a 16-yard reception, came on a shallow crossing route with the defense stationed way back to prevent a third-and-long conversion. It's at least encouraging that quarterback Justin Herbert trusted Johnston on the designed looks given the second-year receiver's struggles in his rookie year, but it'll be interesting to see if Joshua Palmer and Ladd McConkey continue to generate more opportunities as the season progresses.

Pickens recorded six receptions on seven targets for 85 yards in Sunday's 18-10 win over the Falcons.

The Steelers were extremely run-heavy with Justin Fields under center, as they recorded 41 rushes as a team compared to just 23 pass attempts. That resulted in limited volume for most of the team's pass catchers, with Pickens being the only exception. He did the majority of his damage on two long receptions that went for 40 and 33 yards. Pickens' big-play ability will help him put up big production on limited volume in the Pittsburgh offense, but he's still likely to be inconsistent as the season progresses.