NFL Player News

Agnew (knee) was activated from injured reserve Wednesday.

Despite falling out of playoff contention after last Sunday's loss to the Bills, the Lions will nonetheless follow through with bringing Agnew back to the roster three weeks after designating the 2017 All-Pro return specialist for a return from IR. For someone who has only played five full games on the defensive side of the ball, these final two contests of 2018 should give Agnew valuable opportunities to develop as a cornerback. It's also possible that the second-year pro sees light usage on gadget plays for a Detroit offense lacking in play-making talent. Agnew was already given the chance to rush the ball once this season, racking up 17 yards on a Week 5 carry.

Coach Pat Shurmur said Beckham (quadriceps) wouldn't practice Wednesday, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Though Beckham's quad injury has sidelined him for the past two games, Shurmur reiterated Wednesday that the Giants have no immediate plans of placing the star wideout on injured reserve, per Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York. Shurmur also said Beckham feels better this week, but the receiver would probably need to get back on the field in some capacity Thursday and/or Friday to support that claim. If Beckham is sidelined again for Sunday's game against the Colts, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley would absorb most of the volume in the passing game.

Gallup failed to see a target in Sunday's 23-0 loss to the Colts.

The goose egg comes one game after the rookie drew a season-high nine targets in a win over the Eagles, although he was only able to turn them into four catches for 24 yards. Gallup has shown flashes of his upside this season, but for the most part he's struggled with his consistency and has yet to develop strong chemistry with Dak Prescott. Look for significant improvement from the young receiver in 2019, especially with Amari Cooper remaining the focus of attention for opposition secondaries.

Kirkwood recorded two receptions for 40 yards in Monday's 12-9 win over the Panthers.

A week after playing his fewest offensive snaps (22) since making his NFL debut in Week 10, Kirwood tied a career high with 34 snaps in a chippy Monday night affair. Still, the rookie receiver continued to see limited involvement in the passing game and has yet to top 45 yards in any of his six appearances to date. Kirkwood is an interesting player in deeper dynasty leagues, but he probably doesn't warrant ownership in most redraft formats.

Holmes caught his only target for a five-yard gain during Saturday's 17-16 loss to Cleveland.

Holmes got into the action early in the second quarter, helping convert a second-and-short to set up a Brandon McManus field goal. Holmes garnered just eight offensive snaps on Saturday and, though that could certainly increase with his prior familiarity with Bill Musgrave's attack, that probably wouldn't make sense. Denver has nothing much to play for and should see what it has in first-year targets Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick in these final two games of the season, both against division rivals -- Oakland and Los Angeles -- with solid pass defenses.

Smith caught two of four targets for 15 yards during Monday's 12-9 win over Carolina.

The outing snapped a two-game catchless streak for Smith, but it probably wasn't the rebound fans were hoping for. The issues aren't just with Smith. The Saints have not been the same team since Week 12's beatdown of the Eagles -- with a 10-point outing against Dallas in Week 13 and Sunday's uneven performance. The stage is set for the rookie to have a prominent role opposite Michael Thomas, but the Saints need to figure it out soon before a Steelers team riding a big win over the Patriots comes Sunday.

Pascal caught one of two targets for 12 yards during Sunday's 23-0 win over Dallas.

Pascal fell back to earth Sunday after a five-catch Week 14 performance. The first-year target looked like an effective underneath option early in the season, but he fell off right about when tight end Jack Doyle returned in late October. Since Week 6, Pascal has caught more than one pass in a game just once. The Colts are hot right now, but even with Doyle on injured reserve, Pascal hasn't been a big part of it. Sunday offers a tough matchup against a Giants defense that ranks in the top half of the league against the pass.

Coach Anthony Lynn said Allen (hip) may be a game-time decision Saturday against the Ravens, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Allen left the Chargers' huge Week 15 win at Kansas City with a hip pointer that is threatening to lead to his first absence since missing all but one game in 2016 due to a torn ACL. He didn't put the best foot forward Tuesday with no activity at practice, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. Nevertheless, two opportunities remain for him to upgrade to a limited or full participant this week.

Matthews (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, Eric Allen of the Jets' official site reports.

Matthews suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday's 29-22 loss to the Texans, the severity of which now lands him on season-ending injured reserve. The 29-year-old caught five passes for 24 yards across three games with the Titans and five games with the Jets this season. Just two years removed from a 65-catch, nine-touchdown campaign, Matthews has an NFL future that's murky at best.

Moore hauled in one of three targets for nine yards in Sunday's loss to the 49ers.

Moore posted a career day in Week 12 against the Panthers with 103 receiving yards and a touchdown, but he now has just one catch on nine targets in the last three weeks. The second-year pro's recent play is troubling, although he is a deep threat so his fantasy value can be prone to volatility. He'll look to get back on track against the Chiefs' last-ranked pass defense in Week 16.