NFL Player News

Boutte said Wednesday that he's been developing chemistry with QB C.J. Stroud since his trade from the Patriots to the Texans on Aug. 24, Cole Thompson of USA Today reports.

Boutte ended up being the odd man out last month in a New England receiving corps that added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs in the offseason. Prior to their respective arrivals, Boutte was a regular in the Patriots' passing game the last two seasons, combining for a 76-1,140-9 line on 114 targets in 29 regular-season contests during that span. He joined Houston in the wake of Jayden Higgins' torn ACL, so Boutte will be in the mix for looks from Stroud behind Nico Collins and alongside Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel (hamstring) and Jared Wayne to begin the campaign.

Smith didn't make an appearance during the Eagles' three-game preseason slate.

Smith picked up a hamstring injury early on in training camp that kept him sidelined for the Eagles' first two exhibitions. After logging a full practice Aug. 24, he had put the issue behind him, but he still rested with the rest of the starters in the team's exhibition finale. With A.J. Brown getting traded to the Patriots this offseason, Smith is positioned as Philadelphia's No. 1 WR, while Dontayvion Wicks, rookie first-rounder Makai Lemon and Hollywood Brown are the next players up at the position.

Boston is listed as a starting wide receiver along with veteran Jerry Jeudy and 2026 first-round pick KC Concepcion on the Browns' unofficial depth chart.

The 39th overall pick in the 2026 Draft, Boston combined for one catch (on two targets) for 15 yards on 37 offensive snaps between his two appearances during the preseason. The output was nothing to write home about, but he appears set to be one of starting QB Deshaun Watson's key pass catchers to begin the campaign.

Washington is listed as a starting wide receiver on the Dolphins' unofficial depth chart.

Miami almost entirely retooled its receiving corps this offseason, releasing Tyreek Hill in February, trading Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos in March, signing Jalen Tolbert in free agency and then drafting three WRs (Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman) in the 2026 Draft. Washington is the only holdover from 2025, a season in which he hauled in 46 of 65 targets for 317 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing 17 times for 110 yards and one more TD. In addition to an expected increase in snaps while working with new QB Malik Willis, Washington again will serve as the team's primary kick returner and perhaps on punt returns as well.

Dell (knee) agreed to take a pay cut from the Texans on Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Dell was scheduled to collect $3.624 million, but he'll now make just over $1.7 million in 2026. Dell missed the entirety of the 2025 campaign after a catastrophic knee injury suffered toward the end of the previous season. He's now opening this season on injured reserve and won't be eligible to play until Week 5 at the earliest.

Jeudy is listed as a starting wide receiver on Cleveland's initial depth chart ahead of the team's Week 1 game against the Jaguars.

It comes as no surprise after the Browns cut Cedric Tillman at the end of training camp. Jeudy is listed as a starter alongside rookie wideouts KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. Jeudy displayed no chemistry with Shedeur Sanders last season, as the veteran wideout finished 2025 with just 50 catches for 602 yards and two touchdowns on 106 targets. His 47.2 percent catch rate was fifth worst out of 197 qualified pass catchers, and of the 38 players in the NFL to see at least 100 targets, Jeudy's 602 yards were just two more than Jake Ferguson at the bottom of the list. Concepcion is expected to become the go-to target in Cleveland, with Boston operating as the big-bodied X receiver. Jeudy will face far more competition for targets.

Mitchell is listed as a starting wide receiver on the Jets' initial depth chart ahead of a Week 1 matchup against the Titans.

It's no surprise after Mitchell showed playmaking ability with New York following his midseason trade from the Colts last season. In eight games with the Jets, Mitchell caught 24 of 58 targets for 301 yards and two touchdowns. That 41.4 percent catch rate ranked second worst in the NFL out of 197 qualified pass catchers, but better quarterback play this season in the form of veteran pickup Geno Smith should help improve that number. Mitchell has big-play upside and is dripping with talent; he just needs to get out of his own way sometimes. He's worth a late-round flier in fantasy and makes for an intriguing best-ball selection.

Douglas is listed as a starting wide receiver on Miami's initial depth chart headed into a Week 1 matchup against the Raiders.

Douglas is slotted in as the X receiver, alongside Jalen Tolbert at the Z and Malik Washington as the slot man for Miami. A third-round pick out of Texas Tech back in April, Douglas has been running with the first-team offense most of the summer. He logged 17 offensive snaps during the preseason, catching one of his two targets for 28 yards, before being rested for the third exhibition. This Dolphins offense projects to be a low-scoring one, and it remains to be seen if Malik Willis will be able to carry any of his pass catchers to fantasy relevance.

Washington didn't make an appearance during the Jaguars' three-game preseason slate.

Not long after he sat out Jacksonville's exhibition opener on Aug. 15, Washington missed a week of practice due to an undisclosed injury before retaking the field during a joint session with the Buccaneers on Aug. 25, so his lack of in-game activity isn't much a surprise. After reeling off three 100-yard receiving efforts in his final four appearances, including playoffs, of the 2025 campaign, he entered the offseason on a high note and is also considered the team's most sought-after WR in fantasy terms ahead of Brian Thomas, Jakobi Meyers (hand) and Travis Hunter.

Cooper is listed as a backup wide receiver on the Jets' unofficial depth chart.

Cooper served as one of QB Fernando Mendoza's top targets at Indiana last season, finishing with a 69-937-13 line in 16 games. After turning in a 4.42 40 time at the NFL Combine, his prospect profile was enough for the Jets to use the 30th overall pick on him in the 2026 NFL Draft. Joining a receiving corps already boasting Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell, Cooper wasn't destined for more than the No. 3 WR role in the offense, but he worked behind even Isaiah Williams in three-wide sets during training camp, and his current depth-chart slotting indicates he still has work to do to earn significant reps in New York's passing game.