NFL Player News

Despite being targeted 11 times, Cobb caught just four passes for 23 yards and lost a fumble in Sunday's loss to the Redskins.

Cobb had a rough day at the office, finishing with his lowest yardage total of the season while dropping a couple passes and having the ball ripped away from him late in the fourth quarter. He has totaled just 53 yards through the air since putting up 142 yards in Week 1, but he did see 17 looks from quarterback Aaron Rodgers over that span, so he has not been erased from the game plan by any means, even with fellow wideout Geronimo Allison emerging. As long as Rodgers keeps looking his way frequently, Cobb will have a chance to bounce back in the weeks ahead.

Crowder took one carry for six yards and caught each of his four targets for 39 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-17 win over the Packers

Alex Smith attempted just 20 passes in a comfortable win, with Jordan Reed accounting for seven targets and Crowder the only other player to draw more than two. With Reed managing to stay healthy and the Washington offense displaying an unexpected degree of balance, preseason expectations for Crowder's volume need to be adjusted. He's drawn just four targets in each of the team's three games, a massive drop-off from last year's 6.9 per contest. He'll now head into his bye week with a first-rate matchup (at New Orleans) waiting on the other side Week 5.

Smith caught one of two targets for 28 yards in a Week 3 loss to the Giants.

Smith received a boost in playing time Sunday after Bruce Ellington left the game in the first quarter with a hamstring injury. His lone catch came on the Texans' meaningless touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. If Ellington's injury lingers, we presume the Texans would like to give fourth-round draft pick Keke Coutee precedence over Smith, but Coutee has yet to play due to a hamstring injury.

Pettis did not receive a target in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs.

Pettis received his first NFL start last week in place of Marquise Goodwin, but he reverted to a depth role after the injured wideout returned to the lineup Sunday. The second-round pick flashed his big-play upside with 96 yards and a touchdown on just three receptions in place of Goodwin over the last two weeks, but it appears that only an injury to one of the 49ers' starting wideouts would open a path to significant snaps moving forward.

Taylor caught three passes (four targets) for 24 yards in Sunday's loss to Kansas City.

Taylor's three-catch day was certainly an improvement from last week's catchless effort, but the overall results were still negligible from a fantasy standpoint. On the bright side, the 24-year-old remained third on the depth chart ahead of rookie Dante Pettis (zero targets) with Marquise Goodwin returning to the starting lineup. The entire 49ers receiving corps should receive a downgrade next week against the Chargers with C.J. Beathard taking over for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo (knee).

Jones caught four of six targets for 69 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 26-10 victory over the Patriots.

While he continued to receive a slightly lighter workload than Golden Tate (eight targets) and Kenny Golladay (seven), Jones was the most efficient of the bunch Sunday, and -- just like last week -- Jones could have had bigger numbers had quarterback Matthew Stafford not overthrown him in the end zone. The seventh-year wideout is yet to top four receptions in a game this season, but Jones' 47-percent catch rate could be in store for positive regression considering it's 10 percentage points less than his mark from 2017. However, he'll be challenged to build upon this performance Week 4 given his matchup with a Cowboys defense that has allowed just 8.8 yards per reception this season.

Matthews hauled in one of his two targets for three yards Week 3 against Jacksonville.

Jacksonville presented a tough matchup for the Titans' passing attack, so this was unlikely to be the week that Matthews broke out. However, both Corey Davis and Taywan Taylor commanded more targets, leaving Matthews' role ambiguous for the coming weeks. Through three weeks, he has only three catches on six targets for 11 yards.

Allen caught three of his seven targets for 44 yards in Sunday's 35-23 loss to the Rams.

It wasn't exactly a fantastic performance from Allen, particularly since both of the Rams' top two cornerbacks left the contest with injuries. In fact, the last time Allen failed to catch at least four passes or total 50-plus receiving yards was Week 7 of last season against the Broncos. So long as the sixth-year receiver continues to receive the bulk of the targets, he'll remain one of the more consistent fantasy options available, Sunday's contest notwithstanding. Allen should have a better matchup coming up as the Chargers will take on the 49ers, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to the wide receiver position, in Week 4.

Williams caught four of his seven targets for 81 yards and two touchdowns in the 35-23 loss to the Rams on Sunday.

Tied for the team lead in targets, the second-year wide receiver easily put together his best game as a pro. A spectacular diving touchdown reception in the first quarter appeared to leave Williams groggy, but he ultimately never missed a snap. While Williams might be the No. 4 wide receiver on the team's official depth chart, he's arguably the No. 2 option behind Keenan Allen when it comes to pass catchers and has quickly emerged as a threat whenever he's on the field. Game script will likely dictate how much Williams is utilized moving forward, but considering the Chargers defensive struggles to date, the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft figures to be an excellent fantasy option for owners savvy enough to invest in the 24-year-old after a rookie season decimated by injuries.

Kirk caught seven of eight targets for a career-high 90 yards in Sunday's 16-14 loss to the Bears.

Kirk was involved in a minor car accident Wednesday, but barely missed any practice time and looked good in Sunday's loss. In fact, the rookie wideout was easily the Cardinals leading receiver, as no other pass catcher had more than four receptions or surpassed 35 yards. His production has increased each week, and a switch to rookie quarterback Sam Rosen could be coming soon after Sam Bradford was benched in the fourth quarter Sunday. While Rosen doesn't have the strongest arm in the league, he's likely to aggressively challenge defenses more than Bradford. In Week 4, Kirk will square off against Seattle.