NFL Player News

Thielen caught one of five targets for six yards in Saturday's 27-24 win over the Giants.

Thielen's underwhelming performance came on a day when quarterback Kirk Cousins attempted 48 passes. Though his five targets were a slight improvement from the four looks he saw in Week 15, the veteran was able to reel in just one catch. Meanwhile, both Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson tied for a team-high 16 targets and turned in outstanding fantasy performances. The Vikings remain a high-volume passing offense, so Thielen will look to bounce back when the Vikings visit the Packers in Week 17.

Toney caught one of two targets for eight yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 24-10 win over the Seahawks.

Toney's otherwise quiet day was salvaged by an eight-yard touchdown in the first quarter on a pop pass from a jet sweep motion. The speedy wideout bobbled the ball at first but was able to gain control before finding his way into the end zone. Outside of his score, Toney was not a significant part of Kansas City's game plan, playing just 16 of the Chiefs' 53 offensive snaps. The 23-year-old is certainly a fantastic athlete and should have better days ahead when he is fully installed in the offense. However, Toney will be difficult to trust for fantasy purposes when the Chiefs host the Broncos in Week 17.

Valdes-Scantling failed to catch either of his two targets in Saturday's 24-10 win over the Seahawks.

Valdes-Scantling was a complete non-factor in the contest, and he played fewer offensive snaps than fellow wideouts JuJu Smith-Schuster (44) and Justin Watson (39). In fact, the veteran's 23-snap total was his lowest of the campaign. Valdes-Scantling has been up-and-down so far this season, as Patrick Mahomes is known to spread the ball around to several pass catchers. With that said, being a part of Kansas City's aerial attack certainly allows for great potential on any given week. In Week 17, the Chiefs host the Broncos, who allowed Valdes-Scantling to catch just one pass for 20 yards in the teams' first meeting. The 28-year-old speedster will be difficult to trust for fantasy purposes.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Samuel (knee/ankle) may return to practice later this week, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Samuel has missed back-to-back games on account of the sprained left MCL and ankle that he sustained back in Week 14. It's unclear if he has a chance to suit up Sunday at Las Vegas, but the extent of his on-field work once he mixes into drills may provide some insight into his potential to play this weekend. The 49ers will post their first injury report of Week 17 on Wednesday, at which point the team will have a basis for Samuel as he goes through the later stages of his recovery. With Samuel sidelined, Jauan Jennings has taken on a much larger role alongside Brandon Aiyuk at wide receiver.

Bandy (coach's decision) is inactive for Monday's matchup against the Colts.

Bandy will be a healthy scratch for a second straight week. The undrafted wideout out of San Diego has caught 10 of 21 targets for 89 yards across 10 appearances (198 offensive snaps), but it appears he's fallen out of the Chargers' wideout rotation now that Mike Williams is healthy.

The status of Lockett (hand) for Sunday's game against the Jets remains unclear at this stage, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, Lockett underwent a finger/hand procedure last Monday that went "perfect," according to coach Pete Carroll. While the wideout missed this past Saturday's loss to the Chiefs, it's possible that he may be back as soon as this weekend, with Carroll suggesting that Lockett could potentiality face the Jets without practicing this week.

Head coach Matt LaFleur said Monday that Watson (hip) is considered day-to-day, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Watson caught six of eight passes for 49 yards in the first half of Sunday's win at Miami, but he was deemed questionable coming out of halftime with a hip issue and eventually was ruled out. However, it appears the injury isn't serious, and the rookie wideout will have a chance to suit up Sunday against the Vikings. The Packers' practice report Wednesday may provide further clarity on Watson's availability for Week 17.

Head coach Mike Vrabel said Monday that Phillips (hamstring) is not close to returning from injured reserve, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.

Given Vrabel's comments, Phillips can safely be ruled out for Thursday's matchup against Dallas. The rookie fifth-round pick caught eight of 13 targets for 78 yards through his first four appearances, but he's been on IR since with a hamstring injury. It's unclear when Phillips will be able to suit up again, but the wideout is trending toward sitting out the final two games of the regular season.

Treadwell caught three of seven targets for 26 yards in Saturday's 24-10 loss to the Chiefs.

Treadwell was signed off the practice squad following Tyler Lockett's hand injury. He surprisingly finished second on the team with 62 offensive snaps, landing ahead of Marquise Goodwin, who missed most of the third quarter with a wrist injury. Treadwell's target share is appealing for fantasy purposes, but he'll likely revert to the No. 3 role if Goodwin is fully healthy in Week 17 versus the Jets.

Goodwin was targeted four times but didn't catch a pass in Saturday's 24-10 loss to the Chiefs.

Goodwin missed a chunk of the third quarter after aggravating his wrist injury, but he returned to the game. However, Goodwin couldn't capitalize on the opportunity with Tyler Lockett (hand) sidelined, as he had his first catchless game since Week 4. It's possible that Goodwin is actually more useful when both Lockett and DK Metcalf are in the lineup, as the spotlight isn't on him as the No. 2 receiver. Regardless of Lockett's status, the Week 17 matchup against the Jets' stout secondary will be difficult, and it will be worth monitoring Goodwin's health in case his wrist flares up again this week.