NFL Player News

It’s being called a right ankle injury, and his return is now being called doubtful after starting off as questionable. He was replaced by rookie Colin Baxter. Mangold spent ten or so seconds on the ground in clear pain before walking off on his own power, and then was seen pacing on the sidelines.

Boston saw a few deep targets from Deshaun Watson against the Jaguars, ultimately capitalizing with a 46-yard score in the fourth quarter. It came with the game out of reach but we got a taste of how Todd Monken would like to utilize the 22-year-old rookie. He started on the outside for Cleveland and led all wide receivers in snaps, though that may have been inflated with much of the offensive volume coming with the Browns down four scores in the second half. Boston looks to be a boom-or-bust WR5 play for Week 2 against the Buccaneers.

Concepcion was utilized like the Browns’ top offensive weapon on the day, seeing three carries and five targets. He was used in motion and targeted underneath frequently. Concepcion’s fumble occurred on a screen pass where he attempted to evade multiple defenders downfield in the second quarter. His usage is certainly encouraging for fantasy managers as he led all Browns wide receivers in targets and receptions. In an offense that will likely find itself trailing frequently this season, Concepcion will see heavy usage, though getting high leverage opportunities may be difficult if the Browns continue to face the same offensive issues they did in Week 1. Concepcion is a fantasy WR4 for Week 2 against the Buccaneers.

Vele stepped in as the Saints’ No. 2 receiver with Jordyn Tyson on injured reserve. He did a flawless impression of a top-10 pick, making multiple diving grabs to keep the Saints alive in the second half. The Saints acquired Vele via trade last offseason but couldn’t get him going until late in the season. He then missed the final month of the year with a shoulder issue. A healthy offseason seems to have done him well, and he’s now poised to be the No. 2 receiver on a fast, pass-heavy offense until Tyson returns. Vele will be a WR4 for his Week 2 matchup with the Ravens.

Shockingly, Gainwell got out-targeted 7-1 by Bucky Irving, though Pro Football Focus did chart Irving’s snaps advantage at a far more modest 35-26. Gainwell was out there. He simply wasn’t a focal point when it came to getting the ball. It was a bizarre contest with sacks and fumbles derailing the Bucs’ offense, but we would have thought this kind of comeback game script would have led to far more Gainwell receptions. Maybe it was just a fluke, but Irving is a safe RB2 heading into Week 2 while Gainwell is now a more uncertain FLEX.

With sacks and turnovers short-circuiting the Bucs’ offense, Godwin and company were limited to 52 total plays. Godwin was out-targeted 6-4 by Emeka Egbuka, but was on the field for 49-of-57 snaps in Jalen McMillan’s absence. Not that we would expect McMillan to cut into Godwin’s playing time upon his return. One of Godwin’s grabs produced a vicious stiff arm. He’s looking like a legitimate WR3 heading into Week 2 against the Browns.

McMillan played distant second fiddle to Jalen Coker, who cooked the Chicago secondary for 138 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Panthers in air yards and targets. A bulked-up McMillan appeared a little slower than he was as a rookie in 2025, and had trouble separating for most of the game. Coker’s involvement and Bryce Young’s trust in his WR2 might be a problem for McMillan’s upside this season. He should, however, remains a decent weekly floor option, including next week against a gettable Atlanta defense.

Bizarrely, Egbuka was not targeted after the break in a game the Bucs trailed 24-10 at the half and 27-10 early in the third. He nevertheless led the Bucs’ wideouts and tight ends in targets, though Bucky Irving led the team with seven. The Bucs were all out of sorts thanks to four lost fumbles, setting up short fields for the Bengals and limiting the Bucs’ overall play volume. The good news is, Egbuka looked healthy and springy. The downtrodden Browns are on tap for Week 2.

Sanders entered the game after Dylan Sampson (knee) was ruled out. The 24-year-old had a couple explosive kickoff returns, including a 74-yard return in the second half. He caught three passes filling the Brown’s receiving back role and showcased some burst by taking those receptions for 25 total yards. Sanders is an intriguing handcuff to pick up off waivers, pending Sampson’s status heading into Week 2.

Irving’s eight carries look bad on paper, but they were a function of the Bucs falling behind 21-3 midway through the second quarter thanks to a deluge of turnovers. That includes a lost Irving fumble where he entered a scrum one-handing the ball. Not good, though he was not punished for the mistake. He ended up tying a career high with his seven receptions, with supposed pass-catching back Kenneth Gainwell catching the ball only one time. Nothing went the way the Bucs drew it up this afternoon, so we would not count on that usage simply carrying over to Week 2, but it is certainly a good start from a usage perspective for those who took the plunge on Irving as their RB2. It is worth nothing that PFF charted Irving as out-snapping Gainwell just 35-26. There’s a long way to go here, but we will have Irving in the top 24 for Week 2 against the Browns.