NFL Player News

Coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday the Lions are hopeful to get Rodriguez (knee) back at practice following the Week 8 bye, Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network reports.

Rodriguez suffered a torn ACL in Week 13 last season and underwent a second, cleanup procedure on the knee over the summer, delaying his return to action. He remains on the reserve/PUP list, but it sounds like a November return could be in the cards for the veteran linebacker and special-teams standout.

Washington caught zero passes on two targets during Monday's 24-14 win over the Bills.

Washington caught three of six targets for 33 yards while playing 95 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps during Week 1. Since then, his role has diminished. He missed Weeks 2 and 3 due to a concussion and caught one of three targets for 19 yards while playing 52 percent of the offensive snaps during his return in Week 4. Coming off a Week 5 bye, Washington saw more playing time in Week 6, likely due to Darnell Mooney (hamstring) being unavailable, and finished second among WRs in snaps behind Drake London. However, Washington finished with a season-low two targets and failed to catch a pass for the first time this season, save for the games he was inactive. As long as Mooney is dealing with an injury, Washington is a candidate for heavy snaps, but he's yet to take advantage of the opportunity.

Franks rushed once for two yards during Monday's 24-14 win over the Bills.

Coming into Monday's game, Franks had played only four offensive snaps through four games and hadn't come close to touching the ball. However, in the second quarter of the contest, Franks entered the game at quarterback during a 3rd-and-1 play, took the snap and got two yards to convert a first down. He also got the Bills to jump offside later in the game in a similar situation. Franks started his career as a quarterback but has since transitioned to being a special-teams ace and a depth tight end. His fantasy value remains non-existent, but he could siphon a touchdown or two if he ends up getting more looks at the goal line.

Coach Dan Campbell said Arnold (shoulder) will not play next Monday night against Tampa Bay and will be out through the Lions' Week 8 bye, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.

Arnold aggravated his existing shoulder injury in the Week 5 win over the Bengals and will miss at least two games. After initially receiving discouraging news on his shoulder, Arnold's second opinion revealed a more optimistic prognosis, and he's expected to return to the field sometime in November. With D.J. Reed (hamstring) on injured reserve, Rock Ya-Sin and Amik Robertson handled every-down duties at cornerback against the Chiefs last Sunday night.

Gray reeled in both of his targets for 25 yards during Sunday's 30-17 win versus the Lions.

Gray hasn't posted any fantasy-worthy stat lines this season, notching no more than three catches in a contest. He's recorded just eight catches for 47 yards overall this season and has yet to reach pay dirt after doing so five times last season. Gray isn't of particular fantasy interest as long as Travis Kelce remains available, but he could spark some interest should Kelce miss any time.

Smith-Schuster hauled in all three of his targets for 57 yards during Sunday's 30-17 victory against the Lions.

Smith-Schuster made the most of his three grabs, tallying 30, 17 and 10 yards on each of them to reach 57 for the day, but that doesn't generate enough fantasy value to warrant using him in the majority of formats. On top of that, Rashee Rice returns this week to reclaim his spot in the slot. With Hollywood Brown claiming a starting role and Tyquan Thornton and second-year wideout Xavier Worthy all vying for playing time, Smith-Schuster is at risk of getting squeezed out of some snaps moving forward.

Mims caught two of three targets for 30 yards and rushed once for minus-two yards in Sunday's 13-11 win over the Jets.

Mims played 21 of the Broncos' 60 offensive snaps Sunday, behind fellow wide receivers Courtland Sutton (48), Pat Bryant (35) and Troy Franklin (35). The third-year wideout's 35 percent snap share was his lowest mark of the season. Mims has flashed his play-making ability at times this season, but his inconsistent usage in Denver's offense makes him extremely difficult to trust for fantasy purposes. The 23-year-old will have his next chance to take a step forward in a Week 7 matchup against the Giants, yet he'll continue to face stiff competition for targets in a crowded receiving corps.

Smythe wasn't targeted while playing eight of the Bears' 64 snaps on offense in Monday's 25-24 win over the Commanders.

Smythe has yet to draw a target through five appearances on the season and will continue to be relegated to a limited role as a blocker on offense while fellow tight ends Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland are both available.

Duvernay returned five kickoffs for 120 yards in Monday's 25-24 win over the Commanders.

Though Duvernay has been active for every game this season, his role has been contained exclusively to special teams. He has yet to log a snap on offense through five contests and is averaging 25.0 yards per kickoff return and 11.4 yards per punt return.

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Tuesday that it remains to be seen if Mitchell (hamstring) will be able to play Sunday against the Vikings, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Mitchell was injured in the first half of last Thursday night's loss to the Giants and was unable to return to the contest. Kelee Ringo and Adoree' Jackson stepped into increased defensive roles alongside Cooper DeJean at cornerback for the Eagles in Mitchell's absence and would likely see elevated roles once again if Mitchell is unable to play against Minnesota.