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    Kyle Williams rips off 45-yard score vs. Browns

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    NE Wide Receiver #18
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    Patriots WR Kyle Williams caught 2-of-2 targets for 55 yards and one touchdown in Thursday’s preseason game against the Browns.

    This is the performance Williams needed to have following WR Kayshon Boutte’s trade to the Texans. The Patriots still have a crowded wide receiver room, but at least one competitor has been removed from the equation. Williams delivered a 10-yard catch on a curl route on the Patriots’ third play from scrimmage. Three plays later, he shook his defender at the line of scrimmage and took off down the left sideline. He hauled in the pass from QB Tommy DeVito in stride and waltzed into the end zone for a 45-yard score. Williams does not yet need to be drafted in 12-team leagues, vying for the third wide receiver spot on the Patriots’ depth chart. He could be a worthwhile waiver wire add early on, though.
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  • NE Wide Receiver #18
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    Williams logged a pass route on 16 of the Patriots’ 29 drop backs on the day and had one of the longest plays of the game for a struggling New England passing attack. Williams will need more playing time if he’s going to be viable for fantasy purposes. For now Mack Hollins appears to be the top wideout in the Patriots offense.
  • NE Wide Receiver #3
    Douglas made the first catch of the game for the Patriots, but was silent the rest of the day. The 25-year-old is a low-yardage slot receiver who tends to get schemed targets when he is on the field. Douglas tallied the third-most snaps of all Patriots wide receivers on the day but will find it hard to achieve fantasy relevancy in an offense that utilizes multiple receivers in several different ways. Second-year receiver Kyle Williams also saw a pair of targets, catching one for 10 yards. Neither Williams or Douglas are anything more than deep league dart throws for Week 3 against the Jaguars.
  • NE Wide Receiver #18
    The issue is that Williams “didn’t display much craftiness in his route running during training camp this summer.” He ended up “buried on the depth chart” and played just 12 snaps in the opener. Still, Graff notes, Williams has shown an ability to “release off the line of scrimmage with ease, and run straight, deep routes for big completions.” Getting Williams more involved makes sense, but the Patriots have been reluctant to do so thus far in his career. He can be stashed on deep-leagues benches for a week or so, but positive results are not guaranteed.
  • NE Wide Receiver #8
    It’s hard to imagine Williams having a fantasy-relevant role given the fact that the Patriots went out and added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs this offseason, but Graff believes the second-year receiver will have some sort of role in the offense this season. As a rookie, Williams caught 10 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns, and he went for 2-37-1 on three targets in last week’s preseason game against the Colts. Williams’ role in the offense could be worth monitoring in-season, but there’s no reason to rush to add him to your draft day plans.
  • NE Wide Receiver #18
    Williams also focused on building lower-body strength this offseason, adding five to eight pounds in the process. He believes this strength could help him develop as a centerfield target, which is the primary thing to note for fantasy purposes. A 2019 Rotoworld study showed that targets thrown over the middle, 10-plus yards downfield, are more valuable than those thrown along the sideline at an equivalent depth. Williams went 0-for-5 on centerfield targets as a rookie. Improving his play over the middle will help him challenge for a role in the Patriots’ starting three-wide receiver set. Williams also said he hopes to be more consistent, build chemistry with QB Drake Maye and master the playbook this offseason.
  • NE Wide Receiver #18
    A third-round rookie hype merchant in an offense many were expecting to be better, Williams ended up struggling to get on the field, catching just two passes across his first nine games. He was more involved down the stretch, but still finished the regular campaign with all of 10 grabs. He turned that limited work into more than 20 yards per catch and three touchdowns, but Williams was a strict role player in an offense that has fellow field-stretchers Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte. With both those wideouts likely back for 2026, Williams could have a difficult time commanding a bigger role. He turns 24 in November, making him a lower-upside hold in dynasty leagues.
  • NE Wide Receiver #18
    With Kayshon Boutte out for the week and Mack Hollins on IR, Williams was tasked with WR1 duties in New England this week. He led the team in routes and logged a respectable 20 percent target share. Williams didn’t do much with the extra opportunities and even committed one egregious drop. The misplay broke Drake Maye’s completion streak at 11 to open the game. Boutte should be back next week. He will reclaim the No. 1 wideout role once cleared, meaning Williams won’t be on the fantasy radar for Week 18.
  • NE Wide Receiver #9
    Boutte did not practice all week and is in some danger of being shut down for the remainder of the regular season, particularly if the Patriots don’t need to battle for seeing in Week 18. His absence will leave Kyle Williams with a big role against the Jets.
  • NE Wide Receiver #3
    This is a bit surprising. Douglas exited Week 16 after suffering a hamstring injury. His early-week participation puts him on track to play. Hollins is not so lucky. The lanky speedster was sidelined on Wednesday by an abdominal injury, as was WR Kayshon Boutte (concussion). Rookie WR Kyle Williams would benefit if Hollins and Boutte are sidelined this week.
  • NE Wide Receiver #9
    Boutte sustained the head injury in Week 16 against the Ravens while catching four passes for 35 yards. He would appear to be highly questionable to Week 17 against a Jets secondary that ranks among the worst in the league. If Boutte is sidelined, Mack Hollins — who ranks fourth in the NFL in air yards over the past three weeks — would be an excellent flex play for Week 17. Kyle Williams, who caught a touchdown in Week 16’s win, would have some deep league appeal if Boutte is sidelined.

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  • CAR Wide Receiver #18
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    Panthers elevated WR Ja’Seem Reed from the practice squad.

    This is notable considering head coach Dave Canales previously said that the team would only elevated Reed if Coker couldn’t go in Week 4. Coker, listed as questionable, now appears on the worse side of the designation ahead of a Week 4 meeting with the Lions on Sunday Night Football. Fantasy managers are better off making contingent plans now considering the Panthers are the penultimate game of the week.
  • CAR Wide Receiver #17
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    Panthers placed WR Xavier Legette (knee) on injured reserve.

    Legette was already ruled out for Week 4, which marks his second straight absence. He will now be forced to miss the next four games while on injured reserve, making his absence a total of five games, at minimum. John Metchie and Brycen Tremaine will continue to operate as the WR3 in the interim.
  • SEA Running Back #8
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    Seahawks placed RB Jadarian Price (chest) on injured reserve.

    Price reportedly aggravated a chest injury during the team’s Wednesday practice and will now miss the next four games, at minimum, as he tends to the injury. The backfield will be left in the hands of Emanuel Wilson and George Holani in Week 4 against the Chargers but should get reinforcements in short order with Zach Charbonnet set to resume practicing. Price’s season continues to trend poorly for fantasy managers that invested a mid-round pick in his services this summer.
  • NO Tight End #87
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    Saints TE Noah Fant (abdominal) is questionable for Week 4 against the Falcons.

    So too is LB Pete Werner, while LB Kaden Elliss, DE Carl Granderson, and DEAnfernee Jennings have been ruled out. Rookie tight end Oscar Delp would be in line to see additional run alongside Juwan Johnson, should Fant be unable to play.
  • ATL Defensive End #52
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    Falcons DE Samson Ebukam (hamstring) and LB Divine Deablo (hamstring) are questionable for Week 4 against the Saints.

    Ebukam and Deablo are the only two players listed on the Falcons’ injury report for their Week 4 divisional showdown agains the Saints on Monday Night Football. Ebukam returned to a full practice Saturday for the first time since injuring his hamstring in practice ahead of Week 3. The Falcons remain relatively healthy as they prepare to challenge the Saints for the division lead through the first month of play.
  • CHI Quarterback #17
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    Bears QB Tyson Bagent will start in Week 4 against the Jets, reports Dan Wiederer of the Athletic.

    Bagent came in after Caleb Williams suffered a hamstring strain in Week 2, but missed Week 3 as he was in concussion protocol with Case Keenum getting the start. With Williams still out, Bagent will be back under center against the Jets. With Ben Johnson calling plays, Bagent is a super-flex option in Week 4.
  • WAS Wide Receiver #17
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    Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (hamstring) is likely to miss Week 4 against the Colts, reports Commanders beat writer Ben Standig.

    McLaurin injured his hamstring at practice on Friday. While there was initially optimism he could play through the injury, McLaurin is now likely to miss the game against the Colts, according to Standig. Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams should serve as the Commanders’ top wide receivers with Marcus Mariota under center in Week 4.
  • IND Wide Receiver #10
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    Colts WR Keenan Allen (groin) is out for Week 4 against the Commanders.

    Allen was limited in practice throughout the week and listed as questionable. Now he’s been ruled out for Week 4 against the Commanders. Josh Downs is locked in as the Colts top wide receiver this week and Tyler Warren should also see a boost in value with Allen sidelined.
  • DET Defensive Back #32
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    Lions S Brian Branch (Achilles) has a “really good chance” to return to practice next week, reports the Ringer’s Tom Pelissero.

    Branch is still on the PUP list after tearing his Achilles last season. Lions HC Dan Campbell said Branch was close to returning to practice on Friday, though he wouldn’t disclose when exactly the Lions will open the 21-day practice window for the 24-year-old safety. According to Pelissero, there’s a really good chance Branch returns to practice next week. He’ll undoubtedly help a Lions pass defense that has been torn to shreds in the first three weeks of the season.
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    Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield (thumb) could return against the Steelers in Week 6, reports the Ringer’s Tom Pelissero.

    Mayfield dislocated his thumb in Week 3’s loss against the Vikings. The 31-year-old quarterback had no ligament or tendon damage. According to Pelissero, it would be tough but not impossible for Mayfield to return in Week 5, making Week 6 against the Steelers the more likely return date. Jalon Daniels will start for the Buccaneers against the Packers in Week 4.