NFL Player News

Washington secured all three of his targets for 20 yards during Sunday's 24-21 win over the Vikings.

Washington was targeted just once over the first three weeks of the regular season while playing less than half of the team's offensive snaps during that time. However, Jonnu Smith was limited in practice this week, and Washington was on the field for 91 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps during the matchup in Dublin. While it was encouraging to see Washington get more involved, his role will likely decline if Smith is able to shed his limitations following the team's Week 5 bye.

Allen caught his only target for seven yards in Sunday's 26-21 win over the 49ers.

The rookie running back from Syracuse now hasn't received a carry in consecutive weeks, despite playing 32 offensive snaps during that span. Allen played fewer offensive snaps than backfield mates Bhayshul Tuten (18) and Travis Etienne (39) in Sunday's win, suggesting he currently remains the No. 3 RB in Jacksonville. The 21-year-old is likely to remain involved in Jacksonville's offense ahead of a Week 5 matchup against the Chiefs, playing primarily on passing downs.

Coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Mixon (foot) is not ready to return to the field at this time, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Mixon is on the reserve/non-football injury list and is eligible to begin practicing this week, but Ryans suggested that's not going to happen. Sources indicate it will be much longer before Mixon returns to the field and believe there's a chance the running back won't play this season. Woody Marks had a breakout performance against the Titans in Week 4 and appears poised to take more control of the backfield alongside Nick Chubb moving forward.

Freiermuth wasn't targeted during Sunday's 24-21 win over Minnesota.

After playing at least 50 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps in the first three games of the season, Freiermuth's playing time declined overseas Sunday, as he was on the field for just 28 percent of the team's offensive snaps. Jonnu Smith also saw a limited role after dealing with a hip injury ahead of the Week 4 tilt, while Darnell Washington was on the field for a season-high 91 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps. Even if Freiermuth's playing time bounces back following the Steelers' Week 5 bye, he's had trouble carving out a fantasy-relevant role early in the season.

Coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that he's excited to see how much more work Marks can handle going forward following his breakout performance in the Texans' win over the Titans on Sunday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

After touching the ball a combined 14 times across the Texans' first three games of the season, Marks set season highs in offensive snap share (56 percent), touches (21) and total yards (119) against Tennessee. He also scored a pair of touchdowns in the second half to help salt the game away. Additionally, Marks held up well in pass protection. Marks is shaping up as the leader of the Houston backfield moving forward and should be a priority pickup in fantasy leagues where he's available. Nick Chubb is averaging 4.0 yards per carry on his 47 rushing attempts this season and has done nothing to lose his job, but Marks is noticeably more explosive with the ball in his hands at this stage of his career.

Smith secured two of three targets for six yards during Sunday's 24-21 win over the Vikings.

Smith was unable to practice fully ahead of Pittsburgh's Week 4 matchup due to a hip injury, but he played through the issue in Dublin. The 2017 third-rounder was held to single-digit yards for the first time this season while playing just 25 percent of the team's offensive snaps, which was his lowest mark of the season by a considerable margin. It seems possible that Smith's role was limited by his injury, but he'll be able to recover during the Steelers' Week 5 bye.

Samuel caught one of two targets for nine yards in Sunday's 31-19 win over the Saints.

The 29-year-old wideout was a healthy scratch in all of the Bills' games prior to the Week 4 win. He logged 20 offensive snaps and played ahead of Elijah Moore (18 snaps), who had previously been serving as Buffalo's No. 4 wide receiver. Additionally, Samuel added 82 kick-return yards on just three attempts. He'll likely play a similar role in the Week 5 matchup against the Patriots, contributing both offensively and on special teams.

Skowronek failed to secure his lone target in Sunday's 24-21 win over the Vikings.

Skowronek caught a 22-yard touchdown during the Steelers' regular-season opener, but Sunday's overseas matchup was the first time he was targeted since then. Calvin Austin exited Sunday's game due to a shoulder injury, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be available following the Steelers' Week 5 bye. However, even if Austin misses time, Skowronek would likely be forced to compete for a role with Scotty Miller and Roman Wilson, and it's unlikely that any of them would have much fantasy upside behind DK Metcalf.

Hooper, who was on the field for 32 of a possible 49 snaps on offense in Sunday's 42-13 win over the Panthers, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, caught his only target in the game for 24 yards.

With a 7-100-0 line on eight targets through four games, Hooper is only a fantasy lineup option in tight end friendly formats. That's not likely to change much in the coming weeks as long as fellow TE Hunter Henry remains healthy.

Moore rushed once for no yards during Sunday's 31-19 win over the Saints.

The 2021 second-round pick from Ole Miss has now tallied 25 rushing yards on the season, receiving a carry in all of Buffalo's games. However, the 25-year-old played fewer offensive snaps (18) than Curtis Samuel (20), who caught one of two targets for nine yards in Week 4. Moore is now likely serving as the Bills' No. 5 wideout and will continue to play a depth role in a Week 5 matchup against the Patriots.