NFL Player News

Johnston is slated for a larger role on offense with Mike Williams (knee) having suffered a season-ending ACL tear, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Johnston has played less than 25 percent of offensive snaps in each of the Chargers' first three games this season, but he'll need to step up quickly for the passing game with Williams, an every-down player, done for the year. The rookie first-round pick profiles particularly well as a deep threat, which makes him both an ideal fit for Justin Herbert's arm talent and as a complement to Keenan Allen, but he has yet to flash that explosiveness at the NFL level. Sunday's upcoming matchup against a struggling Raiders secondary could set the stage well for Johnston to take advantage of his new opportunity, however. Meanwhile, Joshua Palmer also figures to step into a larger spotlight in the wake of Williams' injury.

Smith-Schuster was on the field for 53 of a possible 72 snaps on offense in Sunday's 15-10 win over the Jets, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Though Smith-Schuster started and was second to DeVante Parker (55 snaps) among the Patriots' WR in terms of playing time, he was limited to one catch (on three targets) for five yards. Three games into his first season with New England, Smith-Schuster has combined for 10 catches (on 16 targets) for 66 yards, numbers that have limited his fantasy utility thus far. With that in mind, Smith-Schuster profiles as a speculative lineup option this coming Sunday against the Cowboys.

Reynolds was held without a target during Sunday's 20-6 win over Atlanta.

Reynolds was muted by a Falcons secondary while Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond received all 18 targets that Jared Goff directed to wide receivers. However, even though the Texas A&M product did log three-quarters of the offensive snaps, it's possible that part of his ineffectiveness was due to a groin injury that landed Reynolds on the injury report in advance of Sunday's game. With Jameson Williams (suspension) still on the sidelines, Reynolds will look to bounce back Thursday in Green Bay.

Jones was not targeted with a pass during Sunday's 20-6 win over Atlanta.

While Jones continued to log at least 39 percent of the offensive snaps, he has yet to receive a target since his disappointing performance in Week 1. This time, all 29 of Jared Goff's pass attempts to non-running backs went to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and Kalif Raymond. Possibly washed at 33 years old, Jones will look to turn back the clock in Thursday's Week 4 matchup with the Packers.

Toney, who logged two snaps on offense in Sunday's 41-10 win over the Bears, caught his only target in the contest for a loss of one yard.

Toney -- who missed practice this past Wednesday and Thursday before returning to a limited session Friday -- approached the contest listed as questionable. Though the wideout was available versus Chicago, Toney's limited playing time Sunday suggests that he's probably still dealing with the sprained toe that landed him on Kansas City's Week 3 injury report to some degree. With that in mind, it will be worth tracking his practice participation ahead of Sunday's road game against the Jets.

Hodge caught his only target for 15 yards during Sunday's 20-6 loss to the Lions.

Hodge played 16 offensive snaps through the first two weeks of the season and was held without a catch. However, he got on the board in Week 3, securing a first-down grab late in the fourth quarter. Hodge has been playing more on special teams than he has on offense to begin 2023, so he currently doesn't hold much fantasy value.

Hollins caught one of four targets for 23 yards during Sunday's 20-6 loss to the Lions.

Hollins saw at least four targets for a third straight game to start the campaign, but he finished with a season low in receptions and yards. He has a firm grasp on the No. 2 wideout role and is flashing as a big-play option, averaging a career-high 16.3 yards per reception. However, as expected, Hollins' fantasy production has been modest to start his Falcons tenure.

Williams (knee) was diagnosed with a season-ending ACL injury after undergoing an MRI following Sunday's 28-24 win over the Vikings, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Williams is expected to be ready for training camp next year, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, but the injury is brutal news for Los Angeles' wide receiver corps. The Chargers have Joshua Palmer and rookie first-round pick Quentin Johnston available to step up behind Keenan Allen, but replacing Williams -- who caught seven of his eight targets for 121 yards and a touchdown before leaving the field Sunday -- will be no easy feat. Expect Williams to officially be placed on injured reserve in the coming days.

Carter caught his only target for 16 yards in Sunday's 23-18 loss to the Steelers. He also returned five punts for 44 yards.

Carter's punt-return duties kept him busy on special teams, but offensively, he logged just eight snaps to rookie wide receiver Tre Tucker's 12. Carter has been targeted once in each of the Raiders' first three games, while Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers continue to command a majority of the looks from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (concussion).

Johnston caught two of his three targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 28-24 win over the Vikings.

For a third consecutive week the 2023 first-round pick played under 25 percent of the total team snaps. It appears as though Johnston will need at least one injury ahead of him on the depth chart to get any sort of sizable workload, but with Mike Williams slated for an MRI on Monday after injuring his knee in Sunday's win, that opportunity could come sooner rather than later.