NFL Player News

Smith could be in for an expanded workload after Michael Thomas suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 1 against Tampa Bay.

As reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Thomas hasn't been ruled out for Week 2 against Las Vegas, but there's a chance he's forced to sit it out or is limited even if he does play. That would likely open things up for Smith, who saw just one reception for four yards on one target in Week 1.

Humphries caught six of seven targets for 47 receiving yards during Monday's 16-14 win over the Broncos.

The former Clemson Tiger enjoyed a breakout season by recording 76 catches, 816 yards, and five touchdowns for the Buccaneers in 2018, but his debut campaign as a Titan last year did not go according to plan. An ankle injury cut Humphries' season short, but his totals of 37 catches and 374 receiving yards were disappointing in a 12-game sample. Now healthy and reinvigorated in the Ryan Tannehill-led passing attack, Humphries ranked third on the team in targets Monday while placing second in receiving yards. Week 2 presents a matchup against a Jacksonville defense that was torched for 363 passing yards in its opener.

Davis caught seven of eight targets for 101 receiving yards during Monday's 16-14 win against the Broncos.

There is buzz surrounding promising young wide receivers each fantasy draft season, hypothesizing about which players may achieve the trademark "second-year breakout" so common to the position. Davis is attempting to achieve the unorthodox fourth-year breakout, and given that he had top-five overall talent coming out of Western Michigan in 2017, he may just defy the odds. Davis attracted a middling target share last year as A.J. Brown posted a historic rookie campaign, garnering fewer than five targets per game en route to a 601-yard, two-touchdown season. In collecting eight targets Week 1, Davis surpassed all of his single-game totals from 2019 while also eclipsing 100 receiving yards for the first time since Nov. 11, 2018. He'll now get ready for a Week 2 matchup against division-rival Jacksonville, an opponent against whom he only generated five catches and 73 yards across two appearances last year.

Jeudy caught four of his eight targets for 56 receiving yards during Monday's 16-14 loss to the Titans. He also committed two dropped passes and fumbled once during his NFL debut.

The 2018 Biletnikoff Award winner dropped seven passes during his final year at Alabama, and that issue reared its head once again Monday night. Jeudy's talent is undeniable after he racked up 145 catches and 24 touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons, but his impact Week 1 was only moderate despite an opportunity for a workload increase arising with Courtland Sutton (shoulder) out of the lineup. Week 2 brings another opportunity for Jeudy, as he and the Broncos take on a Steelers defense that allowed three different Giants receivers to register six catches in Week 1.

Brown hauled in five of eight targets for 39 receiving yards during Monday's 16-14 win against the Broncos.

Monday night's performance was a severe dropoff from Brown's average fantasy output over the latter stages of 2019, as he averaged 100.9 receiving yards per game with five total touchdowns Weeks 12 through 17 of last year. Against Denver, it was instead Corey Davis who enjoyed the bulk of the wide receiver production with 101 yards on seven catches, while Adam Humphries pitched in with six catches and 47 yards of his own. Brown doesn't exactly need double-digit targets to be fantasy relevant, however, as his 12.5 yards per target was better than any player in the NFL during 2019. Chalk up his ho-hum performance to a matchup against a Vic Fangio defense that ranked top 12 against the pass last year. A Week 2 matchup against the Jaguars' inexperienced secondary may be just what the doctor ordered in regard to Brown's fantasy outlook.

Washington caught two of three targets for 34 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 26-16 win over the Giants.

Washington added an exclamation point to Pittsburgh's first half, powering a 13-yard catch across the goal line with seven seconds remaining. Besides that score, he also chipped in with a 21-yard gain on his other grab. While that made for an efficient showing, Washington's volume unsurprisingly trailed top wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster, but Diontae Johnson's six grabs on 10 targets comfortably surpassed his share as well. With rookie Chase Claypool making a couple catches to boot, the Steelers appear stocked with solid options, so it'll be interesting to see how Washington's workload shakes out in the weeks to come.

Johnson caught six of 10 targets for 57 yards in Monday night's 26-16 win over the Giants. He also muffed a punt, resulting in a lost fumble in the first quarter.

Johnson's night got off to a poor start, as he gifted the Giants the ball on his own three-yard line after coughing up a punt on the game's first drive. He later also had a miscommunication with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but Johnson's play elevated as the game wore on, and his ability to create separation with his quickness resulted in a team-high target tally while he tied JuJu Smith-Schuster for the lead in receptions. Although his fellow wideout scored twice on his six grabs, Johnson still flashed intriguing ability behind Smith-Schuster and will hope to cut out mistakes while maintaining his level in Week 2 versus the Broncos.

Treadwell was added to Atlanta's practice squad Monday, pending the passing of COVID-19 testing, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The 2016 first-round pick was unable to make Atlanta's 53-man roster, as the team instead elected to utilize Christian Blake, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Brandon Powell as depth options at wide receiver. With just one career kick return to his name, Treadwell perhaps does not offer equal special-teams upside as Powell or Zaccheaus. Struggles with drops during training camp did not help Treadwell's case for a roster spot, either, thus landing him in a reserve role to begin 2020.

Shepard caught all six of his targets for 47 yards in Monday night's 26-16 loss to the Steelers.

Shepard hauled in everything thrown his way besides an unsuccessful two-point conversion, but his production was limited to underneath routes for modest gains. In contrast, second-year wideout Darius Slayton again emerged as New York's top deep threat, catching six of nine targets for 102 yards and two scores. Although having Golden Tate sidelined Monday adds another factor to consider, Shepard's stock could still benefit from more vertical looks. In absence of those, he'll remain of most value in PPR leagues that reward his craftiness in getting open on intermediate grabs.

Slayton caught six of nine targets for 102 yards and two touchdowns in Monday night's 26-16 loss to the Steelers.

Slayton offered a silver lining to an otherwise underwhelming performance from the Giants, as he continued to show great chemistry with quarterback Daniel Jones. The second-year duo first connected on a 41-yard touchdown to start the second quarter, then finished the game with a seven-yard score in the fourth. Overall, Slayton led New York in all major receiving categories and looked like the team's best perimeter option. After nearly 50 catches, 750 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie, big-play Slayton is certainly one to watch as he grows with Jones in Year 2.