NFL Player News

Hopkins (thumb/ankle/hamstring) doesn't carry an injury designation heading into Sunday's game against the Cowboys.

Though he was a limited participant in practice throughout the week, none of the three injuries Hopkins is nursing were considered serious enough to threaten his status for Week 5. The wideout has earned double-digit targets in all four of the Texans' games this season, netting a combined 30 receptions for 443 yards and two touchdowns. He'll once again remain an elite fantasy play this weekend.

Samuel (chest) is set to make his 2018 regular-season debut Sunday against the Giants, Bryan Strickland of the Panthers' official site reports. Coach Ron Rivera wouldn't specify how much Samuel would play in Week 5, but suggested the second-year wideout could have a role in the return game.

Perhaps more notable was the fact that Rivera didn't offer any assurances Samuel would be used on offense, an indication that Samuel likely isn't any higher than fifth on the depth chart at receiver. That comes as no surprise given that Samuel has been sidelined for just over a month following a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat, but the 22-year-old's role could expand once he gets his conditioning back on track. Even on the occasions he was able to suit up as a rookie, Samuel failed to make much of a splash offensively, notching just 15 receptions for 115 yards and no touchdowns in nine games.

Parker (quad) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals after being limited at practice all week, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Parker has been limited to just one appearance this season, during which he recorded two catches for 40 yards on three targets. He's no lock to play Sunday, and if he ends up hitting the inactive list, Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, Danny Amendola and Jakeem Grant would comprise the team's wideout group. To date, that quartet has shared work in fairly even fashion, with all members falling between 11 and 13 catches and 16 and 19 targets.

Shepard (back) doesn't have a designation on the final injury report for Sunday's game at Carolina, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Shepard had a minor procedure earlier this week to remove a cyst from his lower back, but it didn't stop him from logging a full practice Thursday. With tight end Evan Engram (knee) ruled out for at least one more game, Shepard is the unquestioned No. 3 option in a top-heavy offense led by Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham. Shepard parlayed the role into a 10-77-1 receiving line on 10 targets last week against the Saints.

Parker (quad) suited up for Friday's practice but worked on the side, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports.

Parker was limited at practice the last couple days, and it appears that will again be the case for the Dolphins' final session of the week. The team will reveal his status for its Week 5 matchup with the Bengals after Friday's practice concludes.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said that Adams (calf) will practice Saturday, Michael Cohen of The Athletic reports.

McCarthy didn't say whether Adams will get in any work before then, but his comments leave the door open for Adams to play Sunday even if he is sidelined again. Fantasy players planning to include Adams in their Week 5 lineups will want to keep tabs on his status in the coming days, but a final call on his status for Sunday's game against the Lions may not come until shortly before the 1 p.m. EDT kickoff.

Coach Mike McCarthy said that Cobb (hamstring) won't play Sunday against the Lions.

Cobb was unable to practice this week, so he'll miss his second game in a row as a result. Fellow receivers Davante Adams (calf) and Geronimo Allison (concussion) are also uncertain to suit up this week, so it remains to be seen exactly how the Packers' depth chart at wideout will shake out for Week 5. Cobb's absence for an additional game at least assures Marquez Valdes-Scantling another turn in the starting lineup.

Ridley has been named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for September, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The No. 26 overall pick paces the league with six receiving touchdowns coming into the weekend, and he joins Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Deion Jones as the only Falcons to win Rookie of the Month. Fellow wideout Julio Jones said that he wants to see Ridley to earn the honor every month this season, and there's a solid chance he kicks off October with a bang against the Steelers, who have allowed an AFC-high 12 passing TDs and are yielding an average of 304.8 passing yards (29th in the NFL) through four games to date.

Goodwin (hamstring, quadriceps) was limited in Thursday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

The 49ers bumped Goodwin from DNP to a limited participant in the span of two days, setting up the wideout for even more work to wrap up Week 5 prep. While he'll aim for a full session Friday, he doesn't seem to be in danger of sitting out Sunday's game against the Cardinals. Unfortunately for the wideout, injuries to his upper leg appear to have sapped him of his field-stretching potential, as he has just one catch of 20-plus yards in three games this season.

Cobb (hamstring) didn't take part in practice Thursday, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The Packers receiving corps is banged up, to say the least, at the moment. Cobb's hamstring injury has kept him in the rehab group for the better part of a week, and Davante Adams joined him Thursday as he tends to a calf concern. Meanwhile, No. 3 wide receiver Geronimo Allison is embedded in the concussion protocol and has displayed no progress yet this week. One practice remains for any of the trio to show that an appearance is possible Sunday at Detroit, but rookie wideouts Marquez Valdes-Scantling, J'Mon Moore and Equanimeous St. Brown are waiting in the wings in the event that snaps are available.