NFL Player News

Brown caught his only target for six yards during Sunday's 17-15 win over the Raiders.

Brown played just six offensive snaps, sixth most among Washington's wideouts. The rookie third-round pick has continued to see his playing time significantly drop off since the beginning of the season and remains a long shot for a breakout down the stretch. It's unclear if the reduced snaps has anything to do with a lingering issue from the knee injury he suffered against the Packers in Week 7, or if it's strictly performance-based. Regardless, he likely remains a risky fantasy option moving forward.

Samuel caught one pass for minus-1 yard and rushed twice for minus-1 yard during Sunday's 17-15 win over the Raiders.

Samuel has struggled to stay healthy this year, as he played in back-to-back games for just the second time this season. The 5-foot-11 wide receiver continues to be utilized in numerous ways, but the production hasn't been there in his limited opportunities. With J.D. McKissic dealing with a concussion, Samuel may have gotten more snaps in the backfield during Week 13 than he normally would, but his versatility continues to make him an intriguing option for fantasy managers. Nonetheless, the key to his production is staying on the field and gaining coach Ron Rivera's trust.

Allen (illness), who was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday after testing positive for the virus, is vaccinated and could have a chance to clear all protocols prior to the Chargers' Week 14 game against the Giants, Taylor Bisciotti of NFL Network reports.

Unvaccinated players that test positive are automatically subject to 10-day quarantines, while vaccinated players that test positive are eligible to rejoin their teams as soon as they're asymptomatic for at least 48 hours and able to turn in two negative COVID-19 tests at least 24 hours apart. In the majority of similar cases this season, vaccinated players have typically needed more than a week to clear protocols, but the Steelers' T.J. Watt notably bucked the trend Week 13, returning to the team five days after testing positive and then playing his normal allotment of snaps in Pittsburgh's win over the Ravens. Allen will hope to follow a similar path Week 14, but the odds will still be against him gaining clearance ahead of Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. The fact that the Chargers are hosting the Giants rather than traveling across the country for the matchup at least removes one possible complication in Allen's bid to play this weekend.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Samuel is "day-to-day," and he hopes the wide receiver will be able to suit up for Sunday's game in Cincinnati, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Samuel has missed one game due to the groin strain he picked up Week 12 against the Vikings. His next appearance on the practice field will be his first since he suffered the injury, and it's unclear if that'll happen Wednesday, as Shanahan told Keiana Martin of the 49ers' official site that it's "still too early to tell" regarding Samuel's status for Week 14. As a result, Samuel's listing on 49ers injury reports will be something to monitor as the week goes on. Without Samuel in the lineup this past Sunday at Seattle, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Sherfield led San Francisco in playing time at wide receiver, while Jauan Jennings and Travis Benjamin mixed in behind the pair.

Dulin caught his only target for two yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 31-0 win over the Texans.

Over the past two weeks, Dulin has caught both of his targets for the first two TDs of his NFL career. The third-year wideout's lack of targets relative to his scores is likely a red flag that his production over the last two weeks is an outlier. Regardless, fantasy managers should continue to monitor Dulin's status, as T.Y. Hilton has failed to solidify himself as the clear cut No. 2 receiver behind Michael Pittman.

Olszewski (ankle) will be available for Monday's game against the Bills.

Olszewski was limited at practice all week before drawing a questionable designation. Look for him to take on his usual role providing depth at wide receiver assuming he avoids any setbacks.

McKenzie (coach's decision) is inactive for Monday's matchup with the Patriots.

McKenzie will be a healthy scratch for the second straight game. The 5-foot-8 wideout doesn't play much on offense, but with Marquez Stevenson (coach's decision) also inactive Monday, it's unclear what the Bills plan to do for return men against the Patriots.

Pascal caught one of his three targets for six yards and added one rushing attempt for 12 yards during Sunday's 31-0 win over the Texans.

Pascal finished third on the team in targets behind Michael Pittman (eight) and Nyheim Hines (four), but he was only able to haul in one of them for a modest gain. Over his last two games, the wideout has garnered 10 targets, but he has caught just three passes for 18 yards. This is certainly a concerning trend and likely makes Pascal a risky fantasy option when the Colts resume action Week 15 against the Patriots.

Zaccheaus caught three of his five targets for 44 yards and also added one rushing attempt for two yards during Sunday's 30-17 loss to the Buccaneers.

Zaccheaus finished tied with Cordarrelle Patterson and Tajae Sharpe for third on the team in targets, but he was able to significantly outpace the two in total receiving yards. The third-year wideout's 44 receiving yards were his second-highest total of the season, and the most he's produced since his breakout Week 9 performance (three catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns). Nonetheless, slot man Russell Gage (11 catches for 130 yards) continues to be Matt Ryan's go-to reciever while Calvin Ridley (personal) remains away from the team. Zaccheaus will likely continue to see plenty of playing time to warrant attention, but his sporadic production makes him a risky fantasy option on a week-to-week basis.

Allen's placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday was the result of a positive test for the virus, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Allen has been his usual productive self this season -- 86 catches for 929 yards on 124 targets -- but he only had two touchdowns before doubling that number this past Sunday in Cincinnati. Now, his status is in question following Monday's development. Coach Brandon Staley told Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register that Allen is "day-to-day right now, and hopefully we'll have some good news on him in the next few days." A lot of that depends on Allen's vaccination status. If he's able to test negative twice at least 24 hours apart, he'd be eligible to return to the active roster. If he's unable to do so before Sunday's game against the Giants, Jalen Guyton and Josh Palmer would be in line for more work along with starting wide receiver Mike Williams.