NFL Player News

Evans (ankle) will play in Sunday's game against the Packers, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

While he never made it back to full practice participation, Evans doesn't have an injury designation for Week 6. He'll have a bit of added target competition this Sunday, with Chris Godwin cleared to play for the first time since Week 3.

Godwin (hamstring) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Packers, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Coach Bruce Arians said he expected the star wideout to return this week, and we now have confirmation after Godwin upgraded to full practice participation Friday. He'll make his first appearance since Week 3, teaming up with Mike Evans to give Tom Brady a formidable duo at wide receiver. Godwin has 11 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown in his two games this year.

Gage (shoulder) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game at Minnesota.

Gage figures to handle his usual role in the slot, where the Vikings have been using rookie first-round pick Jeff Gladney in recent weeks. With Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley both cleared to play, Gage is no better than third in the pecking order for targets, though it could work in his favor if the Falcons end up chasing a deficit and facing conservative coverage schemes that make it easier to throw short passes.

Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Friday that Adams will return for Sunday's game in Tampa Bay, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Adams thought he was healthy enough to play Week 4, but the Packers medical staff wanted him to rest his hamstring a little longer before the team had its bye Week 5. He now should be ready for his usual hefty workload, albeit in a tricky road matchup with a Bucs defense that sometimes uses CB Carlton Davis in shadow coverage on the opponent's top receiver. Of course, the matchup really only matters for DFS, as Adams is a locked-in weekly starter for any other fantasy format.

Claypool is expected to get the majority of reps at wide receiver in tandem with JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sunday against the Browns with Diontae Johnson (back) ruled out, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.

Claypool will have a golden opportunity to build on last week's breakout four-touchdown performance against a Browns defense that's allowing the third-most passing yards in the league. Those who were lucky enough to scoop the rookie off the waiver wire should feel confident about plugging Claypool right into starting lineups in this favorable matchup.

Johnson (back) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Browns, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Johnson took a hit to his back during Pittsburgh's Week 5 win against the Eagles, finishing his day with one catch for minus-two yards. During the week, he followed a DNP/LP/DNP practice regimen before the Steelers' ultimately made the call on his availability Sunday. With Johnson out of the lineup, the offense will lean on JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, Chase Claypool and Ray-Ray McCloud at wide receiver.

Slayton (foot) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Washington, but he's expected to play, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Coach Joe Judge said Friday that Slayton that should be able to suit up. The second-year pro has emerged as the focal point of a struggling passing game, leading the team in every relevant receiving stat while accounting for 23.4 percent of the targets. Fantasy managers would be wise to check back for confirmation of Slayton's availability when the Giants release their inactive list approximately 90 minutes before the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday.

Samuel (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bears.

There hasn't been any suggestion Samuel's knee injury is serious, but it's possible he's treated as a game-time decision, considering he never made it to full practice participation this week. He was a limited participant Wednesday through Friday, dealing with an injury that appears to have been picked up in last week's win over the Falcons. Samuel had five catches for 36 yards and four carries for 28 yards in that contest, primarily serving as the Panthers' No. 3 receiver but also taking some snaps in the team's backfield to give Mike Davis a breather.

Beckham (illness) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Beckham's status for the contest hinges on the results of his latest COVID-19 test, but Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports that if the wideout's test comes back negative Saturday morning, he'll be cleared to return to the team's facility. For his part, Beckham says he's feeling good enough to play. Meanwhile, Andrew Gribble of the Browns' official site relays via coach Kevin Stefanski that Beckham got in some work Wednesday and has been in virtual meetings, so Stefanski thinks "there's enough time to catch him up barring his health."

Chark (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions, John Oehser of the Jaguars' official site reports.

The 24-year-old sat out the first two practices of the week, but he was able to put in a limited session Friday to earn the questionable tag. Chark appears to be trending in the right direction for Sunday's matchup in the Lions, though his status may not be fully determined until the Jaguars release their list of inactives about 90 minutes before the 1 p.m. ET kickoff.