NFL Player News

Jones caught one of two targets in Sunday's 20-16 loss to the Jaguars.

Hunter Renfrow (ribs) was inactive, but Jones was targeted on just two of Derek Carr's 36 passes. Jones -- a 2017 second-round pick -- has yet to surpass 33 receiving yards in a game or score a touchdown this season. With Renfrow expected back this Sunday against the Chargers, Jones isn't a dependable fantasy option.

Miller (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Like Miller, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are dealing with hamstring injuries that leave their status for the rest of the season in peril, but the Buccaneers were more willing to take a wait-and-see approach with their top two wideouts rather than the rookie. As a result, Miller's inaugural NFL season will come to a premature end, with the 22-year-old finishing the campaign with 13 catches for 200 yards and a touchdown across 10 appearances. The Buccaneers signed Cyril Grayson from the Cowboys' practice squad in a corresponding move, adding a healthy body to their banged-up receiving corps.

Miller (hamstring) isn't participating in Tuesday's practice, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The severity of the hamstring injury Miller suffered in last weekend's win over the Lions isn't yet known, but the fact that he required an MRI on Monday signals at least some level of concern. All of Miller, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans look at risk of sitting out Saturday's game against the Texans with hamstring injuries, a development that would leave Tampa Bay's wideout corps perilously thin. The Buccaneers will see if Miller can return to practice in some fashion over the next two days before rendering a verdict on his status for Week 16.

Godwin (hamstring) isn't participating in Tuesday's practice, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Godwin was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday, so the Buccaneers will presumably hold him out of practice until his test results are known. Even if the MRI clears Godwin of any significant damage to his hamstring, the Buccaneers don't seem to be counting on the wideout making it back on a short week, as Tampa Bay hosts the Texans on Saturday. With Mike Evans and Scott Miller also sidelined to begin the week with hamstring injuries of their own, the Buccaneers are down to Breshad Perriman, Justin Watson, Ishmael Hyman and Cyril Grayson as the healthy receivers on their roster.

Evans (hamstring) isn't participating in Tuesday's practice, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Buccaneers haven't ruled Evans out for the season since he strained his hamstring in the Week 14 win over the Colts, but he's now missed four consecutive practices and may be trending toward a second straight missed game Saturday against the Texans. With Chris Godwin (hamstring) and Scott Miller (hamstring) also spectators at practice to begin the week, the Buccaneers could be forced to rely heavily on Breshad Perriman and Justin Watson as their starting wideouts versus Houston.

Erickson lost a fumble on a punt return right before halftime in Sunday's loss to the Pats.

Erickson's fumble helped the Pats regain the lead, one that they would not relinquish. It was an overall disappointing day for Erickson, whose offensive contributions amounted to one catch for six yards on five targets.

Coach Mike Tomlin indicated Tuesday that he currently views Smith-Schuster (knee) as questionable for this weekend's game against the Jets, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Though Smith-Schuster hasn't played since Week 11 due to a concussion (which he's since recovered from) and a left knee injury, Tomlin's comments suggest that the wideout is viewed as day-to-day rather than week-to-week. Ultimately, a decision on Smith-Schuster's status for Sunday's game will come down to what he's able to do in the Steelers' practices Wednesday through Friday. Smith-Schuster began Week 15 prep as a full participant in practice, but the Steelers chose to scale back his workload the following two days after his knee didn't respond to the activity as hoped.

Smith caught his only target for a 21-yard touchdown in the Saints' 34-7 win over the Colts on Monday.

Smith scored his third touchdown in four games and has now crossed the goal line in back-to-back contests. Apparently fully recovered from an ankle injury that cost him five games earlier in the season, he's become a viable scoring option for Drew Brees in the receiving game late in the year. Despite the scores, Smith has totaled just six receptions for 77 yards on 10 targets in his last four games, making him difficult to trust for fantasy purposes.

Hardman was held to one catch for 10 yards on two targets Sunday versus the Broncos.

Hardman's 14 offensive snaps mirrored the 14 he received last week against the Patriots, though he made the most of his touches in Week 14, recording a 48-yard touchdown reception on his lone grab. The rookie wideout has proven to be the deep threat the team expected when it drafted him, totaling four catches of 40 yards or longer and eight catches of 20 yards or longer on his 25 receptions this season. With six touchdowns on the board as well, Hardman may have the makeup of a future regular on offense.

Robinson caught two of his three targets for 21 yards Sunday against the Broncos.

Robinson saw an uptick in playing time last week with the Chiefs in a tight battle with the Patriots but returned to normalcy Sunday, logging 56 percent of the offensive snaps. Barring injuries atop the depth chart, there's little to like about Robinson's fantasy prospects as the season winds down.