NFL Player News

The 49ers placed Bourne on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Bourne was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last Wednesday after testing positive for the virus, but subsequent negative tests allowed him to be activated Friday. Now, however, it appears that new developments will require the 25-year-old wideout to return to the reserve list. With Deebo Samuel (hamstring) still banged up, Brandon Aiyuk, Richie James and Trent Taylor are currently the only fully available wideouts on San Francisco's roster.

The Patriots elevated Wilkerson to the active roster for Monday's game versus the Jets, Doug Kyed of NESN.com reports.

Wilkerson will make his NFL debut Monday night. The undrafted rookie out of Southeast Missouri State was extremely productive in his senior season, racking up 71 receptions for 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns. He's one of five healthy wide receivers suiting up for the Patriots in primetime.

Johnson hauled in six of his 10 targets for 77 yards while also recording one carry for four yards in Sunday's 24-19 win over the Cowboys.

Johnson wasn't very involved in the Steelers' Week 8 matchup against Baltimore, but he was on the field for 81 percent of the offensive snaps against the Cowboys. His performance was highlighted by a 42-yard reception that led to the go-ahead touchdown as Pittsburgh remained undefeated. The 2019 third-rounder will face a slightly tougher test against the Bengals in Week 10, but he's proven to be a significant producer in the Steelers offense when he's fully healthy.

Smith brought in one of two targets for a 14-yard touchdown in the Saints' 38-3 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.

As expected, Smith saw his target share dwindle with Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders back in the lineup. Though he salvaged his day with a touchdown, the single target was far from encouraging. Smith will be a boom-or-bust option with New Orleans' receiving corps nearing full strength.

Harris caught his lone target for 40 yards in the Saints' 38-3 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Harris saw just one look in this one, but he made the most of it with a highlight catch-and-run. He caught a short pass, lowered his shoulder, shook off two defenders and streaked down the sideline to pick up a huge chunk gain. With Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders back in the fold, Harris is unlikely to see more than a couple targets on a weekly basis, limiting his upside.

Johnson caught one of two targets for nine yards during Sunday's 27-25 loss to Houston.

The rookie fifth-round pick played only nine offensive snaps during the contest, which is his lowest snap total since Week 2. Laviska Shenault (hamstring) left with an injury during the first quarter, but he still ended up seeing more snaps than Johnson. Even if Shenault is forced to miss some time, it's unlikely Johnson sees his role change significantly while DJ Chark, Keelan Cole and Chris Conley remain in good health.

Shenault (hamstring) received good news from his MRI on Monday and has a chance to suit up in Green Bay on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Shenault was ruled out during Sunday's loss to the Texans, but it looks as though the Jaguars have reason to believe he could return after just a one-game absence. Wednesday's first official injury report of the week will provide a more tangible update on the rookie second-round pick's health. If Shenault does manage to return Week 10, it looks like he'll operate with Jake Luton under center rather than Gardner Minshew (thumb).

Cole caught one of two targets for six yards during Sunday's 27-25 loss to the Texans.

The 27-year-old had an opportunity for a big day with Laviska Shenault (hamstring) making an early exit, but it was Chris Conley who stepped up with seven receptions for 52 yards. The shift from Gardner Minshew (thumb) to rookie Jake Luton at quarterback didn't have a major impact on the production in the Jags' passing game, but Cole clearly didn't show a great rapport with the rookie in his debut. Cole should continue to see significant reps -- especially if Shenault is forced to miss time -- but he has only two catches for 18 yards in the past two games.

Cephus caught both of his targets for 31 yards during Sunday's loss to the Vikings.

Unlike Week 1 when Cephus saw 10 targets and 79 percent of the playing time in the absence of Kenny Golladay (hip), this time he saw 41 percent of the playing time and was an afterthought behind Marvin Jones, Danny Amendola and Marvin Hall. While not many receivers command double-digit targets on a weekly basis anyway, Cephus seems especially unlikely to even see the playing time that could allow for a return to that kind of volume unless another receiver joins Golladay on the sidelines.

Slayton caught his lone target for six yards and added a two-yard carry in Sunday's 23-20 win over Washington.

Perhaps with Golden Tate (coach's decision) benched, Washington was able to key in on shutting down Slayton, allowing Daniel Jones to target 10 other pass catchers. Nevertheless, it's disappointing that the second-year wide receiver finished with season lows in receptions, receiving yards and targets. Slayton always has big-play potential and could be the best wideout on the team, but he's otherwise a replacement-level fantasy asset in games where he doesn't score a touchdown, averaging 2.7 receptions and 27 receiving yards per game.