NFL Player News

Ward caught five of his seven targets for 31 yards in Sunday's 27-17 loss to Washington.

Although he didn't end up drawing the start, Ward was due to play a significant role with Alshon Jeffery (foot) and Jalen Reagor (shoulder) banged up. The 25-year-old did just that as he finished in a three-way tie for second on the team in targets. As has been the case for most of his career, most of those targets were short-range, as his longest of play of the day went for 11 yards.

Harris brought in his only reception for 17 yards and added a nine-yard rush in Sunday's 34-23 win over the Saints.

Harris surprisingly tied with Michael Thomas in yards and finished with more than Emmanuel Sanders in Sunday's loss. Harris saw only one target, however, and he won't often find himself among the team leaders in receiving yards. He also returned four punts for 59 yards and will likely do most of his damage on special teams this season.

Bourne caught two of five targets for 34 yards during Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Cardinals.

With injuries mounting in the wideout room, Bourne saw an uptick in playing time in the season opener. He tied for the team lead in targets and made a couple of impressive gains, but he simply didn't see enough usage to post fantasy-friendly numbers. Bourne should see his share of targets next Sunday against the Jets, but he could be fairly reliant on big plays to make a splash.

Thomas caught three of five targets for 17 yards before injuring his ankle late in Sunday's 34-23 win over the Buccaneers, Mike Florio of NBC Sports reports.

A disappointing day for the receiver potentially got worse when Alvin Kamara rolled up on his lower leg in garbage time. Thomas was able to hobble off the field under his own power and appeared to be OK in the locker room after the win, but he wasn't examined by team trainers. Assuming he's healthy, he should be able to put together better numbers in Week 2 against a Raiders secondary that got torched for 115 yards and a TD by Robby Anderson in its opener.

Evans caught one of four targets for a two-yard touchdown in Sunday's 34-23 loss to the Saints.

The receiver headed into Week 1 a question mark due to a hamstring strain, and while Evans was active, his usage suggests he may not have been 100 percent. New Bucs quarterback Tom Brady did look his way in the red zone in the fourth quarter, however, as Tampa attempted a comeback. With another week to heal, Evans should be a bigger part of the game plan in Week 2 against a Panthers defense that looked more vulnerable on the ground than through the air in its opener.

Godwin caught six of seven target for 79 yards in Sunday's 34-23 loss to the Saints.

All three figures led the Bucs in Tom Brady's debut at quarterback, a very encouraging sign for the chemistry between the duo. Mike Evans may not have been 100 percent for the contest after battling a hamstring strain early in the week, creating more opportunities for Godwin, but there's no guarantee Brady's 43-year-old arm will be able to take full advantage of Evans as a downfield threat even when he's healthy. After a career year in 2019 that included 121 targets, Godwin appears headed for high volume again this season.

Williams (shoulder) snared four of his nine targets to the tune of 69 receiving yards in Sunday's 16-13 win over the Bengals.

Williams led the team in targets, but most of those came on errant deep throws throughout the first half. The big-bodied wideout did almost manage to come down with a touchdown reception on the second-to-last possession in the fourth quarter and was clearly a designed target on a number of red-zone plays throughout the contest, but it was ultimately just a ho-hum contest for the 25-year-old. The fact Williams even managed to play at all is a minor miracle as it was reported only two weeks ago the wide receiver could miss up to a month after spraining his shoulder during training camp. It certainly didn't seem to be a limiting factor Sunday, and it's possible the Chargers could feature Williams even more in future weeks after he successfully made it through the contest without aggravating the injury.

Boyd caught four of five targets for 33 yards in Sunday's 16-13 loss to the Chargers.

Rookie QB Joe Burrow didn't have much time in the pocket behind a porous offensive line, and as a result Boyd didn't catch his first pass of the game until midway through the third quarter, as Cincinnati had to adjust its game plan to get the ball out of Burrow's hands quickly. The 25-year-old is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns and is comfortable working intermediate routes, but he could get more opportunities downfield in Week 2 against a Browns secondary that got lit up by Lamar Jackson and the Ravens passing game in its opener.

Ford hauled in two of four targets for 13 yards during Sunday's 21-11 loss to the Patriots.

Ford averaged only 6.5 yards per catch, but he was one of five pass catchers for Miami with exactly four targets Sunday. Although the 24-year-old put together a strong final four weeks during the 2019 campaign, he won't warrant fantasy consideration in most formats until the Dolphins offense manages to start consistently producing.

Grant caught three of four targets for 25 yards during Sunday's 21-11 loss to the Patriots.

Grant, like the rest of Miami's receiving corps, was held in check by the Patriots' secondary for the entire duration of Sunday's contest. Nor did Grant manage to make an impact on special teams, as his only punt return resulted in a loss of three yards. As the No. 3 wideout at best in an unreliable offense, Grant won't warrant fantasy consideration in most formats when he suits up against Buffalo in Week 2.