NFL Player News

Coach Kyle Shanahan believes Aiyuk (hamstring) will return for Sunday's road game versus the Jets, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Aiyuk tweaked his left hamstring Aug. 23 and was diagnosed with a mild strain that extended into Week 1 prep. After putting in a DNP/LP/LP practice regimen last week, he received a questionable tag but eventually was inactive this past Sunday against the Cardinals. His activity level at Wednesday's practice could be the first sign that active status is likely Week 2, but ultimately his availability could come down to the wire again. If he's able to return, Aiyuk likely would be one of the 49ers' top wide receivers due to the number of other injured members of the group, namely Deebo Samuel (IR, foot), Jalen Hurd (IR, torn ACL) and Richie James (hamstring).

Coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers are aiming for Samuel (foot) to make his season debut Week 4 against the Eagles, Keiana Martin of the 49ers' official site reports.

Shanahan explained the decision to place Samuel on injured reserve Saturday, telling Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com that the wide receiver had some lingering soreness in his left foot that developed into a "little bit of a setback." Consequently, Samuel has a few weeks to complete his rehab from June surgery on a Jones fracture in his left foot, with the hope he'll be available Oct. 4 versus Philly. In the meantime, the 49ers will rely on Kendrick Bourne, Trent Taylor and Dante Pettis in a receiving corps that also has question marks surrounding Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) and Richie James (hamstring).

Meyers was on the field for seven of a possible 64 snaps on offense in Sunday's 21-11 win over the Dolphins, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Meyers, who was not targeted Week 1, has limited fantasy value so long as he remains behind Julian Edelman, N'Keal Harry and Damiere Byrd in New England's wide receiver pecking order.

Westbrook-Ikhine was promoted from the Titans' practice squad to the active roster Monday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

The rookie UDFA out of Indiana was unable to earn a spot on the season-opening roster, but he'll join the active roster as an extra player for Week 1. Westbrook-Ikhine should provide depth at wide receiver and will revert to the practice squad after Monday's game.

Dulin had two kickoff returns for 66 yards, including a long of 41 yards, in Sunday's loss at Jacksonville.

Dulin played all of his 14 snaps on special teams. He'll have a limited reserve role on offense, but he could take over kickoff-return duties with primary returner Nyheim Hines taking on a larger role on offense in the wake of Marlon Mack's season-ending Achilies injury.

Kirk recorded one catch (on five targets) for zero yards during Sunday's 24-20 win in San Francisco.

Following the arrival of DeAndre Hopkins in the offseason, Kirk was bumped down the depth chart, but one could argue that the attention the former brings would open up opportunities for the latter. Instead, Kyler Murray targeted Hopkins 16 times, more than tripling Kirk's mark. Kirk also matched the target share of Larry Fitzgerald and Chase Edmonds, while ranking third among Cardinals wide receivers in offensive snaps (63 of 82) behind Hopkins (77) and Fitzgerald (65). Better days are to come for Kirk, but his output may be more volatile with Hopkins in the fold.

Cephus caught three of 10 targets for 43 yards during Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Bears.

Without Kenny Golladay (hamstring), Cephus stepped into a huge role and finished second among all rookie receivers in Week 1 by logging 79 percent of his team's offensive snaps (62 of 78). Meanwhile, Marvin Hall and Jamal Agnew saw 16 or less snaps apiece. While Cephus wasn't the most efficient with his opportunities, a couple of them came in the end zone, and it's important to know the rookie can command this kind of workload when given the opportunity. If Golladay remains sidelined Week 2, Cephus could be a sneaky play against Green Bay.

Taylor had two receptions (five targets) for seven yards in Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Cardinals.

Taylor clearly didn't have great chemistry with Jimmy Garoppolo after missing most of the past two seasons due to injury. The five targets tied four other receivers for the team lead, so it's apparent that the 26-year-old is considered the primary slot receiver out of the gates. Despite occupying a significant role, Taylor won't have much fantasy value heading into a matchup with the Jets on a team that utilizes its tight ends and running backs heavily in the passing game.

Agnew was targeted once but did not record a catch during Sunday's 27-23 loss to Chicago.

Agnew returned two kickoffs for 66 yards and one punt for 16 yards, but he only saw 15 snaps on offense and wasn't used on any gadget plays. If Kenny Golladay (hamstring) is able to return in Week 2, Agnew is a good bet to see a significant reduction in playing time.

Sutton (shoulder) is not expected to suit up for Monday's game against Tennessee, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Sutton is nursing a sprained AC joint in his shoulder sustained during practice last week, and it looks as though he'll need more time to recover before retaking the field. Rapoport notes that Sutton would suit up Monday were the Broncos in a must-win scenario, a hint that he shouldn't remain sidelined for too long. If the Broncos' top wideout is indeed forced to sit out versus Tennessee, expanded targets will be made available for rookie first-round pick Jerry Jeudy, in addition to Tim Patrick and DaeSean Hamilton. The official word on Sutton's availability will likely come down to a game-time decision.