NFL Player News

Kittle functioned as the one-man show, winning 2-of-2 contested catches while averaging 5.3 yards after the catch. He accounted for four of the 49ers’ eight first-down gains through the air. It was a Herculean effort. Kittle is a high-end TE1 against the Bills in Week 13.

Reiss writes, “there was a moment late last week in practice when the Patriots split into two distinct groups.” The starters, Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas, huddled together on one side while the top three reserves, Williams, Bourne and Chism, stood at the other. Drake Maye notably said Williams is “looking good” after Williams "[snared] a laser of a throw on a comeback route against” CB Christian Gonzalez. Both rookies are currently in good spots, though Williams surely aims for a starting role and Chism has not yet locked up a roster spot. Mack Hollins remains on the active/PUP list with an undisclosed injury. His return could shake things up a bit, though Bourne’s best days are behind him. Stay tuned.

Hollins landed on the active/physically unable to perform list due to an undisclosed issue. ESPN’s Mike Reiss expects Hollins to land “somewhere” in his position group’s top six but opted not to speculate beyond that. Kayshon Boutte has, perhaps, the skill set that most directly overlaps with Hollins, which could make Boutte the primary hurdle for Hollins to leap, in order to secure a starting role.

Barrows notes, “observers often can tell where a 49ers receiver stands in the pecking order by where he lines up in individual drills.” Prior to Ricky Pearsall’s return from a hamstring strain on Sunday, Watkins had been running as the team’s WR3 behind Jauan Jennings and Demarcus Robinson. Although Pearsall is back, Jennings is now sidelined after suffering his second calf injury of the summer, giving Watkins yet another opportunity to run as the team’s third wide receiver. Fantasy managers should also note that although Robinson is practicing, he faces a possible DUI-related suspension early in the year. Brandon Aiyuk’s (knee) return date has yet to be determined. Barrows also notes that head coach Kyle Shanahan “is famously fussy when it comes to rookie pass catchers,” so Watkins is unlikely to be given the role by default. Still, he has the opportunity to compete for it. His progress is worth following.

A negative quote from a former Cowboys coach regarding Blue’s work ethic made headlines earlier this month, but Blue is reportedly silencing those concerns with his performance in training camp. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris said it would be “hard to ask for a much better first week of camp from Jaydon Blue,” and later listed Blue as a runner-up when asked by a reader for his training camp standouts thus far. ESPN’s Todd Archer also noted Blue’s “burst” as well. Blue possesses explosive traits that Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders lack. He is a capable receiver as well. Evidently, he remains in the hunt fantasy-relevant role in year one.

Williams missed practice on Friday, so his limited availability is a step in the right direction. He participated in early drill work and sat out for the Packers’ 11-on-11 periods. He was having a strong camp before suffering a concussion. The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman notes that OG Aaron Banks (back) returned to practice in a limited capacity as well.

Dart reportedly had “ups and downs” in the Giants’ first three practices, but on Sunday, Dart showed that he is “accelerating the learning curve in his development.” Dart’s moxie has been widely complimented by his teammates but talking without walking means little. Russell Wilson remains the team’s Week 1 starter but Dart is beginning to impress with his performance, which is a great sign for his late-season starting viability.

Moore is theoretically competing with Curtis Samuel, who is also currently sidelined by a hamstring injury, for the No. 4 wide receiver role. At 25 years old, Moore can still refine his skill set and contribute meaningfully to a top-tier Bills roster. Hopefully, he resumes practicing soon.

Shakir has already established himself as a highly efficient target earner against zone coverage. His qualifying 28.5 percent target rate from last year beats players like Malik Nabers (28.3 percent) and Justin Jefferson (25.6 percent). His 18.0 percent target rate against man coverage leaves significant room for improvement, sitting just one spot ahead of Tyler Lockett (17.8 percent). If Shakir can indeed refine his route running ability against man, he should easily scoot past his PPR WR37 finish from last year.

The Jets’ new head coach, Aaron Glenn, is expected to use man-to-man coverage far more than the previous Jets regime did, and Gardner “has quietly yearned to cover the opponents’ No. 1 receiver.” Cimini previously reported that Gardner wants to intercept more passes than he has in previous seasons. Allowing him to travel with the opponent’s No. 1 target could certainly afford Gardner more opportunities to do so. Per Cimini, “Gardner also said he might get some blitzing opportunities, which he relishes.” He has three interceptions and one sack through three NFL seasons.

The Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins said this hamstring injury is considered less serious than the one Vaughn suffered last season. Vaughn does not “expect to miss too much time.”