Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up
Odds by

    Christian Kirk leaves practice early with trainer

    Link copied to clipboard!

    SF Wide Receiver #3
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    The Athletic’s Matt Barrows reports that 49ers WR Christian Kirk “walked off with a trainer midway through the session” on Sunday.

    Kirk, 29, is entering his ninth NFL season. As is often the case with NFL veterans, Kirk has picked up his fair share of injuries over the years, including two hamstring strains last season. Fortunately, we are a long way from Week 1. There is no cause for concern at this time. 49ers acting head coach Chris Foerster will address the media shortly, so we could have clarity as to what the issue is soon.
How could Cowboys' defense improve this season?
Mike Florio and Michael Holley talk about the Dallas Cowboys' defense and how they could improve throughout the rest of the season.

Related Player News

  • SF Wide Receiver #3
    Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
    San Francisco also placed offensive lineman Austen Pleasants on injured reserve. Both players will miss at least four games to start the year. Kirk missed most of training camp with the calf issue. Mike Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling, and Deebo Samuel will start for the team in three-receiver sets. Even when Kirk comes back, he’s likely stuck as the WR4 on the depth chart.
  • SF Wide Receiver #3
    Barrows’ phrasing leaves room for interpretation, but it seems as though he is suggesting Kirk could be a cut candidate. The veteran wide receiver was sidelined by a calf injury in the spring and reinjured it in the first practice of training camp. He should probably be avoided in fantasy drafts at this time.
  • SF Wide Receiver #3
    Kirk was seen leaving Sunday’s practice with trainers and was later diagnosed with a calf strain that will sideline him for the foreseeable future. The veteran receiver signed a one-year deal with the 49ers this offseason, is expected to compete for playing time with Ricky Pearsall, De’Zhaun Stribling, and Jordan Watkins. Kirk caught 28 passes for 239 yards and one touchdown in 13 games with the Texans last season
  • SF Wide Receiver #13
    Kirk spent last season in a backup role with the Texans, finishing the year with 28 receptions for 239 yards and one touchdown on 52 targets. The veteran receiver has seen 99 targets in 21 games over the last two seasons while playing over 75 percent of his snaps from the slot. In 2025, current free agent Jauan Jennings led the 49ers with 142 slot snaps, but he’s unlikely to return to the team. Depending on how the rest of the offseason goes, Kirk could earn a decent role in San Francisco, but it’s hard to imagine him having too much fantasy viability outside of deep leagues.
  • HOU Wide Receiver #13
    One of Kirk’s missed connections was a hellacious first quarter drop. A Wild Card hero, Kirk was one of many Divisional Round goats despite his 10-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Mostly a 4-6 target player out of the slot this season, Kirk was able to hold off third-round rookie Jaylin Noel, but only just. Now heading into his age-30 campaign as he prepares for free agency, Kirk could be a victim of the Texans’ receiver youth movement. Wherever he plays in 2026, the best he could hope for in fantasy is low-ceiling WR4 status.
  • HOU Wide Receiver #12
    Collins was unable to practice throughout the week. Texans slot WR Christian Kirk operated as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver last week, and is likely the best bet to do so again against the Patriots. It is an unfortunate development for Collins, who also missed his team’s Week 8 game against the 49ers due to concussion. Texans rookie WRs, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, have a chance to rise to the occasion.
  • HOU Wide Receiver #12
    The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander believes Collins is “a long shot” to play on Sunday against the Patriots, given “the steps he must clear.” Unfortunately, he might be right. Collins still has time to advance through the NFL’s five-phase concussion protocol, but another absence at tomorrow’s practice would be discouraging. Veteran slot WR Christian Kirk stepped up last week, catching 8-of-9 targets for 144 yards and one touchdown in the Texans’ Wild Card win over the Steelers. We expect him to operate as the team’s top target earner if Collins cannot play.
  • HOU Wide Receiver #13
    Kirk served as quarterback C.J. Stroud’s primary option throughout as alpha wide receiver Nico Collins drew lockdown shadow coverage from standout corner Joey Porter Jr. That role only grew in the fourth quarter following Collins’ departure due to a concussion, an ailment that has a good chance of keeping him sidelined through the team’s Divisional Round matchup against the Patriots next weekend. Jayden Higgins will likely step into the primary perimeter role in the absence of Collins after catching 3-of-4 targets for 39 yards against the Steelers, while Xavier Hutchinson and Jaylin Noel split WR3 duties.
  • HOU Wide Receiver
    Noel managed just 11 offensive snaps, but still outgained Christian Kirk (39 snaps, minus-3 yards on two targets) in the box score. We don’t get it, and we haven’t all season. The Texans look happy with him as a kick returner but Noel has made no real in-roads to a starting job in the 2025 season.
  • HOU Wide Receiver #13
    Kirk, questionable with an illness on Friday, not only played, but had his highest snap count (39) since Week 9 and highest target count since Week 12. Did the listing remind the Texans that he was on the roster? We don’t get it — and while he had one nice slant over the middle here, there was nothing that otherwise said Kirk needed to be a featured target. They don’t let us control target counts though, as much as we ask. Kirk will be a weak WR5 play against the Chargers in Week 17.

Rotoworld

  • CHI Running Back #4
    Player Stats
    Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
    Link copied to clipboard!

    NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the “belief is that D’Andre Swift (hip/knee) should be able to go” in Week 5 against the Packers.

    We will get a better sense of Swift’s availability soon when the Bears release their final injury report of the week. After being a DNP in Wednesday’s practice, Swift was able to log a limited session on Thursday, which is a good sign for his availability with one practice left to go. Kyle Monangai (thumb/toe), who has yet to practice this week, could be at risk of missing Week 5, which could lead to a busy day for Swift, while Roschon Johnson would serve as the Bears’ RB2.
  • NYJ Wide Receiver #15
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Adonai Mitchell (finger) will not play in Week 5 against the Brown.

    Mitchell will miss his third straight game with the finger injury he sustained in practice, ahead of Week 3’s game against the Lions. During Mitchell’s absence, Isaiah Williams has run 59 routes, the second-most of any Jets receiver, but has seen just five targets. Garrett Wilson is the only reliable receiver in this passing game, while rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq is a boom-or-bust option against a defense that has allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season.
  • NYJ Running Back #20
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Breece Hall (quad) will not play in Week 5 against the Browns.

    Braelon Allen will once again be in line to lead the Jets’ backfield with Hall sidelined for a second consecutive week. Hall did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday and will presumably be a DNP again on Friday, now that he has been ruled out ahead of practice. Allen saw 100 percent of the Jets’ running back opportunities last week, rushing 14 times for 59 scoreless yards while adding two receptions for an additional eight yards on two targets. He’ll be a fringe RB1/RB2 in what should be another high-volume day for the third-year back.
  • FA Wide Receiver #10
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Free agent WR Tyreek Hill testified in an assault and batter civil case in Miami on Thursday.

    This trial stems from a 2025 case in which Hill was alleged to have physically abused his estranged wife, Lakeeta Vaccaro. At his hearing, Hill admitted to saying to her that he was “able to get people to hurt her,” but denied allegations that he “hit, scratched or shoved Vaccaro, pulled out her hair, spit in her face or punched toward her stomach while she was pregnant,” per ESPN’s Xuan Thai. Legally speaking, a jury will decide whether or not Hill’s actions warrant any kind of punishment, but the league will likely decide after the trial whether or not Hill’s actions warrant a suspension, which could be as high as six games. Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, recently suggested the 32-year-old receiver could sign with a team in the very near future, but it wouldn’t be surprising if teams interested in him waited to see how this trial plays out. The trial is expected to continue on Friday, when Vaccaro’s attorney will have a chance to question Hill.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #88
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports CeeDee Lamb’s quad injury is not believed to be serious after Week 5’s loss to the Buccaneers.

    Lamb was on the field for a few more plays in Thursday’s loss to the Buccaneers after his injury was announced. Rapoport reports that Lamb is believed to be dealing with a quad bruise, which is not believed to be serious. Lamb and the Cowboys now have over a week to rest up before facing the Packers on Sunday Night Football in Week 6. Barring an unexpected development, we would expect Lamb to be good to go for next week’s game against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #19
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Ryan Flournoy caught 3-of-4 targets for 90 yards in the Cowboys’ Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers.

    Flournoy continues to operate as the clear WR3 behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, typically incapable of returning viable fantasy production in their shadows. He hit for a 48-yard reception at the end of the second quarter to set up a go-ahead field goal entering the break, otherwise remaining about as quiet as we would expect. This was the first game in 2026 over a modest 37 yards for Flournoy, who could be tasked with additional emphasis in the immediate future after Lamb departed with a quad injury in the fourth quarter. He could be worth a speculative add ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the reeling Packers.
  • Link copied to clipboard!

    Jake Ferguson caught 3-of-6 targets for 19 yards in the Cowboys’ Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers.

    Ferguson committed two uncharacteristic drops against the Buccaneers, the second of which resulted in a game-sealing interception to push the Cowboys to 2-3 ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Packers. Now held to 43 yards or fewer in five consecutive games, Ferguson is relegated to a touchdown-dependent TE2.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #3
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    George Pickens caught 9-of-13 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers.

    Pickens was the primary target throughout the game against the single-high-heavy Buccaneers, scoring a late fourth quarter touchdown to cap off his first impressive fantasy outing of the young season. Furthermore, fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb departed the game in the fourth quarter with a quad injury that he was unable to play through, potentially setting up Pickens for immense volume in a Week 6 meeting with the Packers at Lambeau. Fantasy managers have patiently watched as Lamb stole the show through the first four games of 2026, but it now appears as if Pickens will have his time to shine, pending the severity of Lamb’s soft tissue injury. Pickens is a WR2 with Lamb active and a surefire WR1 with Lamb out.
  • DAL Running Back #33
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Javonte Williams rushed 12 times for 45 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers, adding 17 yards on two receptions.

    Williams has now averaged 3.8 yards per carry or fewer in four of five games, keeping his fantasy value afloat via six combined touchdowns through five weeks. While the touchdown equity is solid in one of the league’s most potent offenses, we’re liable to see more down weeks like the one he put forth against the Buccaneers unless, or until, the Cowboys can fix their woes on the ground. Williams did see all but one running back opportunity in this one, keeping him in the top six in backfield opportunity rate through Week 5. Consider Williams a volume-aided and touchdown-aided RB2 ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the reeling Packers.
  • DAL Quarterback #4
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Dak Prescott completed 24-of-42 passes for 316 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in the Cowboys’ 24-16, Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers.

    The two interceptions on Dak’s ledger were both in-and-out of his receivers’ hands, the second of which hit tight end Jake Ferguson in the face mask to allow the Buccaneers to ice the game in the fourth quarter. The first “pick” bounced off the hands of Ryan Flournoy to allow the Buccaneers to establish an 11-point lead at the beginning of the third quarter, a deficit the Cowboys would be unable to overcome. That said, Prescott wasn’t at all at his sharpest, missing numerous throws wide in addition to a few badly under-thrown balls in the second half. To make matters worse, alpha wide receiver CeeDee Lamb departed the game in the fourth quarter with a quad injury. The Cowboys fall to 2-3 and find themselves looking up at both the Giants and Eagles ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Packers at Lambeau. Prescott returns to QB1 status in what has become a soft matchup, pending the health of Lamb.