NFL Player News

Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Johnson (hamstring) is "probably unavailable" for Monday's game against the Browns, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

This backs up a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN in which he relayed that the Steelers expect Johnson to miss multiple weeks due to the right hamstring injury he sustained in a season-opening loss to the 49ers. Tomlin also told Alan Saunders of PittsburghSportsNow.com that the team is awaiting the results of an MRI before honing in on an exact timeline for Johnson's return, but it appears he will be sidelined for at least Week 2. Assuming the veteran wideout is inactive this week, George Pickens, Allen Robinson and Calvin Austin all figure to have elevated target shares.

Johnson secured two of three targets for 31 yards in Sunday's 17-16 loss to the Raiders.

Johnson was on the field for 50 percent of the Broncos' offensive snaps Sunday, the third-most of all Denver wideouts. Surprisingly, the veteran played ahead of rookie standout Marvin Mims, nearly doubling his snap total. Johnson is likely to continue to see limited usage with a crowded group of pass catchers ahead of him in the Broncos' offensive attack. Fellow receiver Jerry Jeudy (hamstring) should return to action soon, which will further limit Johnson's potential going forward. The 25-year-old remains off the fantasy radar when the Broncos host the Commanders in Week 2.

Mims caught both of his targets for nine yards in Sunday's 17-16 loss to the Raiders.

Despite talk of a potentially expanded role early in the season with Jerry Jeudy (hamstring) sidelined, Mims was on the field for just 17 of the Broncos' 64 offensive plays Sunday. The rookie wideout played behind Courtland Sutton, Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Brandon Johnson in snap percentage, and his two targets tied for the lowest total of the group. In the first regular season game of the Sean Payton era, Russell Wilson ultimately targeted 11 different players over 34 attempts in the passing game. With that said, it's possible Denver's coaching staff chose to ease Mims into action in his debut, but his impressive talent should lead to his increased involvement in the offense moving forward. Jeudy's injury status is still uncertain, but if he can return this week, Mims' upside could be capped when the Broncos host the Commanders in Week 2.

The Steelers expect Johnson (hamstring) to miss multiple weeks due to an injury sustained in Week 1's loss to the 49ers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Johnson exited Sunday's loss in the third quarter due to a right hamstring injury. Depending on his expected recovery timetable, Pittsburgh could opt to place him on IR, which would necessitate missing at least four games. At the very least, Johnson stands to be sidelined for the team's upcoming divisional contest against the Browns on Monday Night Football, and likely Week 3's game in Las Vegas as well. George Pickens, Allen Robinson and Calvin Austin could all see increased target shares as long as Johnson remains sidelined.

Thompkins brought in two of three targets for 10 yards, returned one kickoff for 23 yards and ran back four punts for 29 yards in the Buccaneers' 20-17 win over the Vikings on Sunday.

Thompkins operated as the No. 4 receiver, with his 18 snaps from scrimmage sitting just behind No. 3 wideout Trey Palmer's 23. Thompkins encouragingly saw some work on offense right out of the gate after recording five catches across five games in 2022, and the 23-year-old also filled both returner roles as expected. The Utah State product could have occasional opportunities for chunk plays given his speed, especially on a wideout depth chart that's thin on proven options behind the top duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Davis caught two of four targets for 32 yards in Monday's 22-16 overtime loss to the Jets.

Davis was blanketed by arguably the best secondary in the NFL and finished a distant second on the Bills in receiving yards behind Stefon Diggs (102). Buffalo's No. 2 wide receiver behind Diggs should have better days ahead, beginning with a Week 2 home game against the Raiders. The inconsistent Davis was held under 40 yards eight times last season, but he had at least 74 yards and a touchdown in four of his seven other appearances.

Lazard caught two of four targets for 46 yards in Monday's 22-16 overtime win over the Bills.

Lazard's decision to join the Jets in the offseason was undoubtedly influenced by the then-impending arrival of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but the former Packers teammates played just four snaps together before Rodgers suffered what is feared to be a season-ending Achilles injury. Lazard went on to lead the team in receiving yards as backup Zach Wilson threw for 140 yards in a win fueled by the defense's four forced Josh Allen turnovers. Lazard is locked into a starting role on the outside heading into a Week 2 trip to Dallas, but that prominent usage is much less exciting with Wilson throwing the ball rather than Rodgers.

Wilson caught all five of his targets for 34 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 22-16 overtime win over the Bills.

Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) exited the game on the Jets' first drive, and the starting quarterback may have suffered a season-ending injury. Zach Wilson (no relation to Garrett) failed to get New York's top target involved consistently, but the second-year receiver still came up with the highlight of the night on his game-tying, two-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. Wilson reached across his body and used his right hand to corral a poorly thrown ball, then juggled it with the same hand and proceeded to gain possession while falling back for an early catch-of-the-year candidate. It was Garrett's first career touchdown from Zach, who started nine games last season. The 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year is a tremendous talent, but his fantasy stock would take a major hit in Week 2 against the Cowboys and for the rest of the season if Rodgers' feared Achilles tear is confirmed in the coming days.

Diggs caught 10 of 13 targets for 102 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 22-16 overtime loss to the Jets.

Diggs gave the Bills a 10-3 lead with a five-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Four turnovers by quarterback Josh Allen had the Bills on the ropes down the stretch in regulation, but Diggs came up clutch late with three catches for 40 yards in the two-minute drill to set up a game-tying field goal, though Buffalo ultimately fell short in overtime. The star receiver was undaunted by a tough matchup against cornerback Sauce Gardner and the stout New York secondary while no teammate had more than 32 receiving yards. Locked in as the top receiver in Buffalo's high-powered passing game, Diggs should find more space to operate in Week 2 against the Raiders at home.

Merritt did not log a carry during Sunday's 16-15 win versus the Titans.

Merritt played only two of his eight total snaps on offense during New Orleans' season opener. With Alvin Kamara suspended, the Saints also elevated running back Tony Jones from the practice squad ahead of Sunday's matchup, though he also played just seven offensive snaps behind temporary No. 1 running back Jamaal Williams (49). With versatile offensive player Taysom Hill also available for occasional carries, it's likely the Saints continue to heavily rely on Williams and Merritt consequently sees minimal opportunity.