NFL Player News

Bourne caught both of his targets for six yards and a touchdown in Thursday's 34-3 win over the Raiders.

Bourne's strong Week 8 performance (seven catches for 71 yards) helped him vault ahead of Trent Taylor (healthy scratch) on the depth chart. The second-year wideout took advantage of the opportunity, cashing in for his third touchdown of the season. Bourne's role has varied on a week-to-week basis, but he was targeted in the red zone for the fifth time through nine games, the highest total among all San Francisco receivers. The 23-year-old's upside remains capped so long as Marquise Goodwin and Pierre Garcon are healthy, but his touchdown potential could make him worth a dart throw in deeper leagues when the 49ers face the Giants in Week 10.

Goodwin brought in one of four targets for 11 yards in the 49ers' 34-3 win over the Raiders on Thursday.

Goodwin didn't quite flash the same level of chemistry with rookie quarterback Nick Mullens that fellow pass catchers George Kittle and Pierre Garcon did. It was the speedster's second consecutive game with one reception and a 25.0 percent catch rate, although Goodwin's sole grab in Week 8 against the Cardinals went for a 55-yard touchdown. The 27-year-old remains the 49ers' best deep threat by far and will look to bounce back against the Giants in a Week 10 battle.

Kupp (knee) remained limited at practice Thursday.

Coach Sean McVay hasn't wavered from his assertion that Kupp will return from a two-game absence for Sunday's showdown at New Orleans. "I know he's feeling good and confident and excited to be back out there," McVay told Myles Simmons of the Rams' official site. So far, individual drills have been the extent of Kupp's activity, per Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com. Having said that, Kupp likely doesn't need many reps to be able to reincorporate himself into the Rams' dynamic offense.

Taylor (coach's decision) is listed as inactive Thursday versus the Raiders.

A back injury has plagued Taylor at times since mid-May and even forced a DNP in a Week 6 visit to Green Bay. In two games in the meantime, he's been sparsely used, turning just five targets into two receptions for 13 yards. Expect Marquise Goodwin, Pierre Garcon (shoulder/knee) and Kendrick Bourne to get the most attention from fill-in starting quarterback Nick Mullens in the passing attack.

Thomas (shoulder) practiced in full Thursday.

The Saints limited Thomas' practice reps Wednesday as a result of a shoulder injury, but it didn't hinder his ability to participate in all drills Thursday. He has a great chance to produce Sunday versus a Rams defense that has yielded 9.2 YPT and 11 touchdowns to wide receivers this season.

Hill (groin) was limited at Thursday's practice.

Hill practiced fully Wednesday, so the dip to a limited session is notable. It remains to be seen if the downgrade in participation was maintenance-related or indicative of a setback. Friday's final injury report in advance of Sunday's game against the Browns will shed added clarity on that front.

Cooper (concussion) wasn't listed on the initial Week 9 injury report the Cowboys released Thursday, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Cooper sustained a concussion in his most recent game Oct. 14, which proved to be his last appearance with the Raiders before he was traded to Dallas a little over a week later. Back-to-back bye weeks with his old and new teams have given Cooper some extra time to clear the NFL's concussion protocol, so it's not surprising that he avoided the injury report entirely when the Cowboys reconvened for practice Thursday. As Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram relayed Tuesday, the Cowboys are already listing Cooper as a starter in their game notes for the Week 9 matchup with the Titans, so expect the wideout to handle a sizable snap count right away as he makes his Dallas debut on Monday Night Football.

Robinson (groin) didn't practice Thursday, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Prior to an absence Week 8 against the Jets, Robinson opened with no participation at the first two practices. He's precisely replicated that regimen this week, which doesn't bode well for a return to action Sunday at Buffalo. Friday's injury report could elaborate on his potential to play this weekend. Conversely, if he's ruled out, Taylor Gabriel, Anthony Miller and even Kevin White would benefit among the team's wide receivers.

Coutee (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

After sitting out the Texans' Week 8 win over the Dolphins, Coutee has opened up the current week with back-to-back limited showings in practice. He'll probably need to put in a full session Friday to avoid an injury designation heading into Sunday's contest against the Broncos, but his presence on the field in some capacity provides optimism about his chances of playing. Once he gets over the hamstring issue, Coutee will face a threat to his targets in the form of trade-deadline pickup Demaryius Thomas, though there could be room for both wideouts to earn stable volume in the passing game with Will Fuller (knee) out for the season.

The Texans listed Hopkins (foot) as a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

The wideout has been a mainstay on Houston's injury reports throughout the season, but he's never truly been in any danger of missing game action. He'll likely be ready to go for Sunday's game against the Broncos and fill his usual high-volume role in a Houston aerial attack that added Demaryius Thomas to its ranks following Will Fuller's season-ending knee injury. After seeing double-digit targets in each of the Texans' first five games, Hopkins has fallen below that benchmark in each of the last three contests. That's due in large part to him drawing shadow coverage in those games from three of NFL's top young corners in Buffalo's Tre'Davious White, Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey and Miami's Xavien Howard, but Hopkins has made the most of his reduced targets by scoring four touchdowns during that stretch.