NFL Player News

Byrd caught one pass for 11 yards in the Bears' 25-24 win over the Seahawks on Sunday.

Byrd actually won the game for the Bears by catching a two-point conversion in heavy traffic with less than a minute remaining in the contest. Otherwise, he was fourth on the team with three targets, and with Marquise Goodwin (foot) having returned to the lineup, Byrd broke a trend that saw him average five targets over the last four weeks. It's likely his role in the offense remains minor in Week 17 against the Giants.

Johnson caught six passes for 51 yards and one touchdown on nine targets against Kansas City on Sunday.

The touchdown occurred late during garbage time in a game during which the Steelers were pummeled 36-10, and Johnson lost a fumble without being touched earlier in the game, but the rougher points in his Sunday performance can be excused given the difficulty of the circumstances. Ben Roethlisberger couldn't get anything going against the Chiefs defense, and Johnson had only moderate success as a result. Johnson's sky-high target rate gives him a good chance to come through again for his fantasy investors even if Roethlisberger struggles against Cleveland in Week 17. The wideout caught six passes for 98 yards on 13 targets against Cleveland in Week 8 this year.

Goodwin caught two passes for 23 yards in the Bears' 25-24 win over the Seahawks on Sunday.

With Darnell Mooney and David Montgomery seeing more than half of Nick Foles' passing attempts, there was very little left to go around, and Goodwin was one of five Bears to see two or three targets. With four or fewer targets in all but one game he's played this season, he'll have the potential for a low-floor scoring performance in Week 17 against the Giants.

Metcalf caught two of five targets for 41 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 25-24 loss to the Bears.

It was another low-volume performance for Metcalf, but he did manage to score his first TD since Week 8 by hauling in a 41-yard strike from Russell Wilson in the first quarter. Metcalf hasn't topped 60 receiving yards in eight straight games, giving him little momentum heading into a Week 17 clash with the Lions, but he needs 146 yards over the Seahawks' last two contests for his second straight 1,000-yard season.

Hill caught two passes for 19 yards on two targets against Pittsburgh on Sunday.

It's possible that Hill's inability to practice this week (illness) left him with a decreased presence in the game plan, though the ease with which the Chiefs won (36-10) might have also played a role. The Chiefs put the Steelers away easily even without using Hill, but to beat the Bengals in Week 17 the Chiefs will likely need to reappoint Hill as their workhorse receiver. With that, a return to high-level fantasy production for Hill becomes more likely than not.

Lockett caught three of six targets for 30 yards in Sunday's 25-24 loss to the Bears.

On a snowy day in Seattle, the Seahawks' passing game was mostly quiet, leading to one of Lockett's worst performances of the season. The veteran wideout is on the cusp of a couple milestones, however, as he needs only five more receiving yards and one touchdown to set new career single-season highs in both categories, giving him something to play for in Week 17 against the Lions even with the Seahawks eliminated from postseason contention.

Watkins secured all three targets for 43 yards in the Eagles' 34-10 win over the Giants on Sunday.

Watkins checked in second behind DeVonta Smith in receptions and receiving yardage, and while his perfect catch rate was a highlight, he did get whistled for holding on what would have been a Dallas Goedert touchdown grab early in the third quarter. The speedy second-year wideout has multiple receptions in all but one game this season, but he hasn't topped four catches in any one contest. Watkins lines up for a favorable matchup on paper against a suspect Washington secondary in Week 17.

Gage brought in four of five targets for 39 yards in the Falcons' 20-16 win over the Lions. He also lost a fumble.

The veteran gave way to Kyle Pitts as the linchpin of the pass-catching corps for the week, but Gage still checked in as a distant runner-up to the rookie tight end in receptions, receiving yards and targets. Gage has no fewer than four catches in six consecutive games going into a Week 17 road matchup against the Bills.

Pringle caught six passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets against Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Pringle stepped up on a day in which the Chiefs were without Travis Kelce (illness) and lead receiver Tyreek Hill played with no practice,. Pringle helped anchor a strong game for Patrick Mahomes (23 of 30 for 258 yards and three touchdowns) as the Chiefs easily put away the Steelers. Kelce should be back for Week 17's game against the Bengals and Hill will almost certainly get more practice time to prepare, but Pringle might have established himself as the Chiefs' third-leading pass catcher going forward.

Samuel (hamstring) is listed as inactive Sunday at Dallas.

Despite being listed as limited on Washington's practice reports during Week 16 prep, Samuel won't be available to the offense for the 10th time this season. Instead, the team will turn to Terry McLaurin, Adam Humphries, DeAndre Carter, Cam Sims, Dyami Brown and Dax Milne at wide receiver Sunday.