Henry Ruggs III

Ruggs could face veteran competition for snaps after the Raiders signed John Brown and Willie Snead to replace Nelson Agholor (Patriots), Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group reports.

Analysis: Agholor unexpectedly emerged as the team's No. 1 wideout and top deep threat last season, essentially filling the role that Ruggs was drafted for. Meanwhile, the first-round pick put up a 26/452/2 receiving line in 13 games, with a couple huge plays surrounded by month-long stretches of near-invisibility. With Snead and Hunter Renfrow likely competing for slot work, the top candidates for perimeter snaps are Ruggs, Brown and Bryan Edwards. The Raiders surely hope their 2020 first-round pick can step up as the top guy, but Vic Tafur of the Athletic suggests the team may actually be more confident in Edwards, who was selected 69 picks later (81st overall) in the same draft. It's possible Ruggs opens his second pro season in a rotation if he doesn't assert himself ahead of Edwards in training camp.

Ruggs (concussion) finished his rookie season with 26 catches for 452 yards and four touchdowns on 43 targets, starting 12 of his 13 games.

Analysis: Apart from the Week 17 contest in which he suffered a concussion, Ruggs played at least 54 percent of offensive snaps in every appearance. He burnt the Chiefs for 118 yards and a touchdown in his third NFL game, but then had just 79 receiving yards total over the next five contests. The first-round pick did make one of the most memorable plays of the 2020 campaign, torching the Jets in Week 13 for a go-ahead, 46-yard TD with five seconds remaining. Ruggs otherwise went unnoticed for much of the year, with TE Darren Waller being the Raiders' volume hog and WR Nelson Agholor emerging as the big-play threat. Ruggs didn't live up to his billing as the first wideout drafted in a deep class for the position, but he probably showed enough potential to enter 2021 training camp with a starting job. The spot across from him is the big question mark, with Agholor scheduled for free agency and Tyrell Williams (shoulder) a likely cap casualty. Fellow 2020 draft pick Bryan Edwards could also enter the mix for perimeter snaps, despite catching only 11 passes as a rookie.

Ruggs is being evaluated for a concussion and is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Broncos.

Analysis: Ruggs secured all three of his targets for 38 yards before leaving the field, but he also fumbled on his only carry. Bryan Edwards and Zay Jones will stand to handle increased roles if Ruggs can't return Sunday.

Ruggs took one carry for seven yards, but he failed to catch either of his two targets in Saturday's 26-25 loss to the Dolphins.

Analysis: Ruggs was ineffective as a receiver in his return from the reserve/COVID list, but he still managed to log a customary 44 offensive snaps after missing Week 15. The pass-catching trio of Nelson Agholor, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow combined for 301 yards and a score on 15 total receptions, so it's a shame Ruggs couldn't benefit from quarterback Derek Carr's 9.88 yards per attempt effort. Ruggs should now be able to participate in a full week of practice ahead of the Raiders' season finale in Denver.

Ruggs is listed as active Saturday against the Dolphins.

Analysis: The Raiders placed Ruggs on the reserve/COVID list Dec. 15, which kept him sidelined Week 15 versus the Chargers. When he was activated from the list Thursday, coach Jon Gruden told Jerry McDonald of The San Jose Mercury News that Ruggs subsequently "looked good" at Thursday's session but didn't speculate on his availability for Saturday. Ruggs is suiting up for Week 16, but it remains to be seen what kind of snap and target count he can expect.

Ruggs has come off the reserve/COVID-19 list, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Per Jerry McDonald of The San Jose Mercury News, Ruggs practiced Thursday and looked good, according to coach Jon Gruden. As a result, Ruggs could return to action Saturday against the Dolphins, but his status for the contest has yet to be confirmed by the team.

Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said he expects Ruggs (reserve/COVID-19 list) to return to the team facility by the end of the week, but the receiver's status for Saturday's game against the Dolphins has yet to be determined, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Analysis: Gruden's comments suggest Ruggs is seemingly trending in the right direction physically after his initial placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list Dec. 15, but the Raiders may not have a strong feeling about his readiness for game action until they get a chance to reassess him. While Ruggs was sidelined for last week's loss to the Chargers, Zay Jones and Bryan Edwards both saw uptick in their snap counts, but the duo combined for one nine-yard reception across two targets.

The Raiders placed Ruggs (undisclosed) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, ruling him out for Thursday's game against the Chargers, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Analysis: Ruggs has either tested positive for COVID-19 or come into close contact with someone who has. As a result, he'll log his second absence of his rookie season. With Ruggs on the pine, the Raiders will turn to Nelson Agholor, Hunter Renfrow, Bryan Edwards and Zay Jones at wide receiver.

Ruggs caught three passes on as many targets for 18 yards and returned one kickoff for 24 yards in Sunday's 44-27 loss to the Colts.

Analysis: Ruggs caught 100 percent of his targets for just the second time all season, but he averaged only 6.0 yards per catch Sunday after posting a 3-84-1 line in Week 13 against the Jets. Fellow pass catchers Darren Waller, Nelson Agholor and Hunter Renfrow combined to see 26 total targets thrown their way, but Ruggs should factor back into the mix on Thursday Night Football against the Chargers.

Ruggs caught three of four targets for 84 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-28 win over the Jets.

Analysis: Ruggs had a ball bounce off his hands for an interception on Vegas' opening drive and lost a fumble in the fourth quarter, but those mistakes were overshadowed by the rookie speedster's game-winning 46-yard touchdown with five seconds to go. Left in single coverage with New York blitzing, Ruggs burned cornerback Lamar Jackson deep and hauled in an accurate pass from Derek Carr to keep the Raiders in the playoff hunt at 7-5. Ruggs' value is tied to his big-play ability, but showcasing those skills won't be as easy against the stingy Colts defense in Week 14.

Ruggs caught three of his five targets for 56 receiving yards during Sunday's 43-6 loss to the Falcons.

Analysis: Ruggs came down with an impressive 36-yard fourth-down reception over Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell on the final play of the first quarter, but he was unable to keep his feet in bounds and get the ball over the pylon. Las Vegas was unable to punch the ball in from Atlanta's three-yard line, ultimately settling for three points on the drive. Fantasy GMs invested in Ruggs have been constantly settling themselves, as the No. 12 overall draft choice has one touchdown on all season and just one outing of more than 55 receiving yards. If another breakout effort is coming, it may come Week 13 against the Jets. New York has allowed the third-most receiving yards to opposing wideouts thus far this season (2,189)

Ruggs caught his only target for five yards and he also took one carry for 12 rushing yards in Sunday's 35-31 loss to the Chiefs.

Analysis: Ruggs once again was outproduced by fellow pass-catchers Nelson Agholor and Darren Waller, who combined for 176 yards and two touchdowns on 13 receptions and 16 targets. Given his snap share consistently surpasses the 50-percent mark, it's disappointing to see Ruggs' lack of production continue on a night that quarterback Derek Carr manages to throw for 275 yards and three touchdowns on 31 pass attempts. The rookie receiver will look to bounce back Week 12 in a favorable matchup against the Falcons.

Ruggs caught three of four targets for 31 yards in Sunday's 37-12 win over the Broncos.

Analysis: Ruggs finished with more than two receptions for the first time since Week 1, but the rookie also dropped what could have been a long touchdown early in Sunday's contest before the Raiders got out to a big lead. Nonetheless, Ruggs led his position group in playing time with 45 offensive snaps. He'll now face a Chiefs secondary that allowed him to catch two passes for 118 yards and a touchdown back in Week 5.

Ruggs took his only carry for 10 yards in Sunday's 31-26 win over the Chargers, but he failed to catch any of his three targets.

Analysis: Ruggs has been silent as a receiver since the bye week with just four catches for 43 yards on 10 targets in three contests. Quarterback Derek Carr completed only 13 passes Sunday as the Raiders played with a lead for nearly the entirety of the second half, which didn't help Ruggs' case. Nonetheless, the rookie wideout played 39 of 50 offensive snaps and he figures to draw another start Week 10 against the Broncos.

Ruggs secured two of his four targets for eight receiving yards during Sunday's 16-6 win against the Browns.

Analysis: The No. 12 overall pick from April's draft has been a boom-bust option in his five appearances this season, though the majority of his outings have landed on the bust end of the spectrum. Ruggs enjoyed a 118-yard, one-touchdown outing during the Raiders' Week 5 upset of the defending champion Chiefs, but he's averaged a mere two catches and 25.5 receiving yards over his other five appearances. Hamstring and knee injuries held the rookie out Weeks 3 and 4, but even when he has been active, the results have been inconsistent.

Ruggs secured two of three targets for 35 yards in the Raiders' 45-20 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Analysis: The rookie speedster was contained by the Buccaneers' improving secondary save for a 29-yard grab, leading to his second-lowest yardage tally of the four games he's suited up for. Ruggs has now seen only three targets apiece in each of his last three contests, so he remains very big-play-dependent for his fantasy production. He'll look to up his production versus a vulnerable Browns secondary in Week 8.

Ruggs (knee) secured two of three targets for 118 yards and a touchdown in the Raiders' 40-32 win over the Chiefs on Sunday. He also returned one kickoff for nine yards.

Analysis: Making his first appearance since Week 2, Ruggs put his stamp on the game with a 72-yard touchdown grab with 2:39 remaining in the first half. The rookie speedster also recorded a 46-yard grab on the afternoon and provided the Raiders with a downfield dimension they'd been missing in his absence. While he only saw three targets, Ruggs' final line is a testament to what he can do with even minimal opportunity. Ruggs wil now utilize the bye week to get even healthier ahead of a Week 7 home matchup against the Buccaneers.

Ruggs (knee) is active Week 5 against the Chiefs.

Analysis: Ruggs was able to practice in full both Thursday and Friday, but his status Sunday was still expected to come down to pregame warmups after entering the week with a questionable tag. It seems his activity in warmups was enough to get clearance, and Ruggs will return to action after back-to-back weeks on the sidelines. Opportunity does await with Bryan Edwards (ankle/foot) ruled out this week, though Ruggs will still be going up against a Kansas City that has been effective against opposing wide receivers this season. The Chiefs are giving up the least fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers in standard formats, allowing just 42 total receptions and two touchdowns to the position through four games.

Ruggs (knee/hamstring) is "hoping to play" Sunday against the Chiefs, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Analysis: Per the report, a final call on that front hasn't been made, but fortunately for those considering Ruggs in Week 5 fantasy lineups, the Raiders kick off at 1:00 ET on Sunday. The rookie wideout, who is officially listed as questionable for the contest, practiced in full both Thursday and Friday.

Ruggs (knee/hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Chiefs.

Analysis: That said, the speedy rookie practiced in full both Thursday and Friday, which appears to set the stage for him to be active for Sunday's 1:00 ET contest. If he does return to action after missing two straight games, Ruggs will add a playmaking element to a wide receiver corps that also includes Hunter Renfrow, Nelson Agholor and Zay Jones. The Raiders have already ruled Bryan Edwards (foot/ankle) out for Week 5.

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