NFL Player News

Grant secured two of six targets for 42 yards and returned four punts for eight yards in the Dolphins' 19-7 win over the Bengals on Sunday. He also muffed a punt, but it was recovered by Miami.

Although there was nothing particularly remarkable about his numbers, Grant still had a somewhat prominent role to play in the contest, albeit unintentionally. The speedster was interfered with by the Bengals' Mike Thomas on a would-be punt return in the fourth quarter, taking a premature and low hit that set off a large scuffle between both teams that resulted in the ejections of teammates DeVante Parker and Mack Hollins, as well as Cincinnati's Shawn Williams and William Jackson. Grant otherwise benefited from a timely recovery of his third-quarter muff by Noah Igbinoghene and put together his third straight two-catch effort. The young veteran primarily continues to fill a shorter-area role in the passing game previously handled by Preston Williams (IR-foot), but he'll look to make bigger contributions in what could be a pass-heavy matchup against the Chiefs in Week 14.

Bowden rushed once for 11 yards and secured all four targets for 41 yards in the Dolphins' 19-7 win over the Bengals on Sunday.

Bowden hadn't seen an offensive touch since Week 5 against the 49ers, but with all of Matt Breida (reserve/COVID-19), DeAndre Washington (hamstring) and Salvon Ahmed (shoulder) out of action Sunday, the rookie saw his most extensive opportunity of the season and made good use of it. Bowden still was much busier as a receiver than runner, but his catch tally tied for second on the team behind Mike Gesicki's nine. It remains to be seen what the health landscape for the Dolphins backfield will look like in a Week 14 matchup against the Chiefs, but given his solid effort Sunday, the versatile Bowden may have a role even if some of his injured teammates return.

Cooks caught five of eight targets for 65 yards during Sunday's 26-20 loss to the Colts.

In the absence of Will Fuller (suspension), Cooks surprisingly finished third on the team in catches and receiving yards while checking in second in targets. He briefly left the game to be checked for a possible concussion but was able to return. Additionally, his status as the team's most experienced wideout drew more attention from a formidable Colts defense, but he still managed to reach the 60-yard mark for the seventh time in his last eight games. In fact, Cooks is averaging 80.8 yards per game during that span and will look to continue his consistent production next Sunday against the Bears.

Wims caught one pass for 13 yards in Chicago's 34-30 loss to the Lions on Sunday.

Wims has now caught six passes for 48 yards and a touchdown in nine games this season and won't likely see an increased workload during the fantasy playoffs.

Pittman caught all five of his targets for 46 yards during Sunday's 26-20 win over the Texans.

Pittman finished second on the team in catches and receiving yards while tying for second in targets. His long gain went for just 13 yards, however, as he finished with a lackluster average of 9.2 yards per reception. Meanwhile, T.Y. Hilton enjoyed his best performance of the season and seems to be hitting his stride after playing second fiddle to Pittman in recent weeks. Despite seeing 14 targets over the last two games, Pittman has snared just seven of those while totaling 74 yards and will look to improve his efficiency in next Sunday's matchup with the Raiders.

Mooney caught four of six targets for 43 yards in Chicago's 34-30 loss to the Lions on Sunday.

With the Bears leading for the majority this contest, they had no need to aggressively attack the Detroit defense with Mooney's downfield ability, keeping him from taking advantage of a secondary that was missing two of its top three cornerbacks. On the season, he's only surpassed 43 yards on two occasions while failing to reach 70 yards in any contest, making it unlikely that he'll provide fantasy managers with much upside in the fantasy playoffs.

Thomas secured nine of 11 targets for 105 yards during Sunday's 21-16 win against the Falcons.

Thomas has now posted two nine-catch, 100-plus-yard receiving performances against the Falcons over his past three games appearances. Sandwiched between was a four-catch, 50-yard Week 12 letdown against the Broncos, but there has nevertheless been a revival in recent appearances from the two-time All-Pro. In his first two games back from ankle and hamstring injuries Weeks 9 and 10, Thomas managed only seven combined catches for 78 yards. His fantasy outlook will likely only improve if Drew Brees (ribs) is able to return Week 14 for a matchup against the Eagles. Taysom Hill threw for 232 yards and two scores against the Falcons, but he's still averaging just 18 completions per game with two total pass TDs over three starts.

Higgins secured five of seven targets for 56 yards in the Bengals' 19-7 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. He also reported having tweaked his hamstring leaping over a defender at the end of the contest, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

The extent of Higgins' injury remains to be seen, but it otherwise was encouraging to see him put together a serviceable stat line despite playing with a pair of questionable quarterbacks in Brandon Allen (chest) and Ryan Finley against a tough Miami secondary. Higgins ultimately checked in second in receiving yardage to the ejected Tyler Boyd and in catches to tight end Drew Sample, who saw plenty of short-area looks in the latter's absence. The most explosive aspect of Higgins' game -- his downfield role -- certainly is compromised without Joe Burrow (IR, knee) under center, but his immense talent keeps him in fantasy consideration each week. If healthy, Higgins will look to exploit a favorable matchup versus the Cowboys in Week 14 while potentially working with Finley as his quarterback.

Parker secured four of eight targets for 35 yards in the Dolphins' 19-7 win over the Bengals on Sunday. He eventually was ejected for fighting with 12:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Parker had a surprisingly meager stat line before his early exit on a day in which quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 296 yards, but he narrowly missed coming down with a couple of end-zone targets. The disappointment over the veteran wideout's sparse production is somewhat offset by the fact he did check in second on the team in targets, giving him at least seven looks in five consecutive contests. It remains to be seen if Parker will face any league discipline for the ejection, but assuming he's available for a Week 14 showdown against the Chiefs, he's likely to be heavily involved as part of what figures to be an aggressive offensive game plan for Miami.

Jefferson caught nine of 12 targets for 121 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-24 overtime win over Jacksonville. He added two yards on one rushing attempt.

Jefferson's most impressive sequence came in the third quarter, as he drew an 18-yard pass interference penalty and scored a 20-yard touchdown on back-to-back plays to give his team a 19-16 lead. The rookie first-round pick led the team in targets, catches and receiving yards, topping second-place Adam Thielen by one target, one catch and 46 yards. Jefferson has four touchdowns in his last three games and five 100-yard performances in his young career heading into a Week 14 clash with the Buccaneers.