NFL Player News

Samuel caught three of six targets for 33 yards and rushed six times for a loss of nine yards (one fumble lost) in Sunday's 31-7 playoff loss to the Eagles.

Samuel's production fell off quickly in this contest after starter Brock Purdy injured his throwing elbow in the first quarter. With no threat of a passing game for much of the contest, Philadelphia's defense was able to sell out and blow up the dual-threat superstar in the backfield routinely, resulting in his worst rushing performance to date. Samuel finished the year with 864 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns across 13 regular-season games. The 27-year-old's overall numbers came back down to Earth following his standout 2021 season, most notably his 11.3 yards per catch, which marked a new low for his career. Samuel will hope for better health for both himself and whoever starts under center for the 49ers in 2023.

Toney (ankle) went to the locker room with athletic trainers in the first half of Sunday's AFC Championship game against the Bengals, according to Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star, and his return to the game officially is questionable.

Toney went down at the end of a first-quarter catch and had his lower left leg examined in the medical tent. After that evaluation, the wide receiver made his way to the locker room. Toney had one catch for nine yards on two targets prior to exiting, with the other target resulting in an end-zone incompletion that was unsuccessfully challenged by Kansas City.

Hardman (pelvis) is listed as active for Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals.

In his first game action since Week 9, Hardman will add speed and experience to a Kansas City wideout corps that also includes JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and Marcus Kemp. In that context, Hardman, who logged 25 catches on 34 targets for 297 yards and four touchdowns through eight games prior to being sidelined, profiles as a speculative fantasy option in his return to the Chiefs' pass-catching mix Sunday.

Watson (illness) is inactive for Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals.

Watson caught his lone target for 12 yards across 37 offensive snaps during the Chiefs' divisional-round win over the Jaguars, but he won't be able to play Sunday due to an illness that surfaced late in the week. In Watson's absence, Skyy Moore will be a candidate for increased snaps behind JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney and Mecole Hardman.

Smith-Marsette was elevated to the active roster Saturday.

Smith-Marsette will make his third appearance on the Chiefs' active roster, but he's yet to garner a target across 12 offensive snaps. Expect a similar course of action with Mecole Hardman (pelvis) trending toward playing Sunday.

Kemp was elevated from the practice squad Saturday.

This marks the fifth time Kemp will join the active roster, but the tall target has yet to see a target this season. Expect Kemp to see little opportunities the rest of the postseason, particularly with Mecole Hardman (pelvis) possibly back in the fold.

Tolbert caught two of three targets for 12 yards over eight regular-season games in 2022.

Drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of South Alabama, Tolbert was viewed as a raw, athletic prospect who might need some time to adjust to the level of play in the NFL, but the Cowboys clearly didn't anticipate just how big that adjustment was going to be. The 23-year-old was inactive for the first two games of the season despite the team's lack of healthy, reliable wideouts behind CeeDee Lamb, and even after Tolbert did begin to draw into the gameday lineup, he failed to make any kind of impact, and he returned to inactive status for the final five games of the regular season plus both of Dallas' playoff games. With a full offseason in the program ahead to hone his skills and with a better idea of what he needs to do to succeed in the NFL, Tolbert could make a big leap in his second season, but there's little reason to put him on the fantasy radar as anything more than a dart throw in dynasty formats until he proves himself on the field.

Turpin finished seventh in the NFL with 808 return yards and fifth with a 10.4 yard average on punt returns over 17 regular-season games in 2022.

The 26-year-old rookie saw little work on offense, taking three carries for 17 yards and catching one of two targets for nine yards, but the 2021 USFL MVP became a 2022 NFL Pro Bowler due to his prowess in the return game. Turpin didn't manage to return a kick for a touchdown but came close on multiple occasions, and with two more years remaining on the very affordable contract he signed last July, he should be a key weapon on special teams for the Cowboys again in 2023.

Brown caught 43 of 73 targets for 555 yards and three touchdowns over 16 regular-season games in 2022.

The 27-year-old came into the season with little fanfare and little career production on his resume, but Brown took advantage of a threadbare depth chart behind CeeDee Lamb early in the season to establish himself as a legitimate NFL receiving threat, posting an 18-274-1 line on 27 targets over the first four games of 2022 despite mostly working with backup QB Cooper Rush. Brown's numbers declined from that point once Michael Gallup rejoined the lineup, but he still flashed some upside later in the year, hauling in 85 yards against the Texans in Week 14 before catching two TDs from Dak Prescott in Week 15 against the Jaguars. An unrestricted free agent in the offseason, Brown's breakout could draw interest from other clubs and price him out of the Cowboys' 2023 plans.

Gallup caught 39 of 74 targets for 424 yards and four touchdowns over 14 games in the 2022 regular season.

The fifth-year wideout missed the first three games of the season while completing his recovery from ACL surgery, but given the disappointing numbers he ended up posting, it looks like the Cowboys may have rushed him back too soon. Gallup posted fewer yards in 2022 than he did the year before despite playing in five more games, and his only real impact came during a brief two-game stretch in Weeks 11 and 12 -- he set his season high for yards with 63 against the Giants, then followed that performance up with two TDs against the Colts. He did manage a 5-46-1 line on six targets in the wild-card win over the Buccaneers, but in general the 26-year-old never regained his pre-injury form, and he never got on the same page as Dak Prescott -- Gallup's average yards of separation and catch percentage both ranked in the bottom 12 in the NFL. He still has four more years left on the contract he signed last offseason, and a fairly significant dead cap hit in 2023 if he were to be cut loose, so Gallup should be back in Dallas next season. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him bumped down the depth chart by a significant offseason addition, however, as the front office looks to give CeeDee Lamb more reliable help.