49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Fills versatile role with new club
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McCloud went without a target across 12 snaps on offense in Sunday's win over the Cardinals.
McCloud had played north of 40 percent of the snaps on offense in each of the 49ers' previous four games, but with Deebo Samuel (ankle/knee) returning to action for the regular-season finale, McCloud saw his role get downsized. The 26-year-old is slated to serve as a depth piece within the 49ers' receiving corps heading into the postseason, with McCloud most likely to provide his biggest impact in the return game for the duration of San Francisco's postseason run. He appeared in all 17 games during the regular season, logging 243 receiving yards, 78 rushing yards, two total touchdowns and 955 combined return yards.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Converts long catch in win
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McCloud had one reception (two targets) for 41 yards in Sunday's 37-34 overtime win over the Raiders.
McCloud produced a big-splash play for the second consecutive week, although this one fell short of going for a touchdown. The return specialist is proving that he can be a home-run threat on offense, but his role is too inconsistent to be relied upon in fantasy. McCloud has recorded more than one reception just once this season (Week 7), so more of the same can be expected against the Cardinals on Sunday.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Rips off huge TD run
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McCloud broke off a 71-yard touchdown run and did not catch his lone target in Saturday's 37-20 win over Washington.
McCloud did his best Deebo Samuel (knee/ankle) impression when he took a wide zone handoff for a 71-yard touchdown. It was the return specialist's fourth rushing attempt this season, with the previous three tallying just seven yards back in Week 14. McCloud's usage as a receiver hasn't increased in the two games sans Samuel, so this unique touchdown run shouldn't have fantasy managers rushing to the waiver wire ahead of San Francisco's Week 17 matchup against Las Vegas.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Garners three targets in win
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McCloud caught one of three targets for 16 yards in Thursday's 21-13 win over Seattle.
McCloud was elevated to third on the receiver depth chart with Deebo Samuel (ankle) sidelined, but his offensive usage did not expand much with the elevated role. The return specialist combined for 84 return yards for fantasy league's that factor in that statistic. Samuel is likely to miss Week 16's contest against Washington, giving McCloud another shot to generate value as a cheap DFS flier against the Commanders next Saturday.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Sees boost in snap count
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McCloud logged 28 snaps on offense (44 percent) and caught his lone target for 11 yards in Sunday's 35-7 win over the Buccaneers.
McCloud saw an uptick in offensive snaps in the second half of Sunday's blowout win after Deebo Samuel (knee/ankle) was carted off the field. The latter suffered a pair of injuries and is expected to miss time. Jauan Jennings would figure to step into Samuel's starting wideout role, with McCloud seeing an increase in playing time in addition to his usual work as the team's primary return specialist. Neither backup figures to see a huge increase in targets, but some deep-league value could be had for as long as Samuel is sidelined, starting with Thursday's tilt against Seattle.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Records 12-yard catch
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McCloud played six of the 49ers' 70 snaps on offense and recorded a 12-yard reception in Sunday's 13-0 win over the Saints.
After failing to corral his lone target in the 49ers' Week 11 win over the Cardinals, McCloud got back on the stat sheet Sunday with his 11th catch of the season. The former Clemson standout is clearly behind Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings on the depth chart at receiver and is unlikely to see his role expand unless one of those three players misses time.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: No catches in MNF win
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McCloud failed to catch his lone target in Monday's 38-10 win over the Cardinals.
McCloud logged seven snaps on offense (14 percent) while serving his usual role as the team's primary kick returner. The veteran wideout was coming off of a nice three-game stretch where he averaged 36.3 receiving yards and scored one touchdown before Monday's zero. McCloud's minimal role on offense makes him a fantasy afterthought heading into a Week 12 matchup against the Saints on Sunday.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Converts big play in win
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McCloud caught his lone target for 33 yards in Sunday's 22-16 win over the Chargers.
Jimmy Garoppolo caught the Chargers in cover zero and dialed up McCloud on a streak for a big gain. It was the return specialist's only target on seven offensive snaps (10 percent). The 26-year-old has big-play ability, but he is too low on the depth chart to rely upon in fantasy. McCloud will continue serving as the team's No. 4 wideout and return man against the Cardinals next Monday.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Nabs one catch in spot start
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McCloud caught one of two targets for 11 yards in Sunday's 31-14 win over the Rams.
McCloud got the start alongside Brandon Aiyuk after Deebo Samuel (hamstring) and Jauan Jennings (hamstring) were forced to miss Sunday's contest. The return specialist logged 30 snaps on offense (57 percent) and did his thing on special teams (100 yards on five combined returns). McCloud's usage in the passing game didn't increase despite the elevated role, all but confirming that last week's career fantasy day was an outlier. The 26-year-old should resume his backup role when the 49ers return healthier from the upcoming bye week.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Scores first TD of career
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McCloud hauled in all four targets for 65 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 44-23 loss to Kansas City.
McCloud came out of nowhere to post his best offensive game as a professional. The 25-year-old didn't benefit from an injured starter nor a notable increase in playing time (25 percent of offensive snaps), so we have to write this off as a career game in unique circumstances. There's no reason to believe that the return specialist will produce these results moving forward. McCloud will continue to handle return duties and serve as the 49ers' fourth receiver on the depth chart against the Rams next Sunday.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: No targets in win
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McCloud logged 26 snaps (18 on offense) and was not targeted in Sunday's 37-15 win over Carolina.
McCloud was in line to see a slightly expanded role offensively if Jauan Jennings (ankle) was forced to miss the contest. The latter played, leaving McCloud in his usual No. 4 wideout/returner role. The 25-year-old will fill a similar role in Week 6 against the Falcons.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Catches one pass in win
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McCloud caught one of three targets for six yards in Sunday's 24-9 win over the Rams.
McCloud now has just one catch in each of the 49ers' first four games. Operating as San Francisco's No. 4 receiver, McCloud is not seeing enough opportunities on offense to be considered a viable fantasy starter. The 25-year-old wideout played on just nine of the team's offensive snaps, the least of any 49ers wideout in the contest. McCloud should remain off the fantasy radar when the 49ers visit the Panthers in Week 5.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Another one-catch game
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McCloud caught his lone target for 11 yards in Sunday's 11-10 loss to the Broncos.
McCloud got off to a rough start when he slipped on the opening kickoff return and started San Francisco deep in its own territory. The return specialist logged 10 snaps on offense (18 percent) and 13 on special teams. McCloud doesn't carry any fantasy value in his current role as fourth on the receiver depth chart heading into a Week 4 matchup against the Rams.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Nabs reception in win
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McCloud caught one of two targets for 18 yards in Sunday's 27-7 win over Seattle.
McCloud logged 18 of his 25 snaps on offense, with the other seven coming on special teams (three punt returns for 23 yards). The veteran return man will serve a similar role in Sunday's tilt against Denver.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Handling return duties
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McCloud caught one of two targets for 20 yards in Sunday's 19-10 loss to the Bears.
McCloud is sitting at fourth on the receiver depth chart, so fantasy managers won't find much to see in his Week 1 stat line. The 25-year-old return specialist primarily will serve that role for the 49ers this season.
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49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Lands with San Francisco
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McCloud signed a two-year contract with the 49ers on Thursday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
McCloud was a key contributor for the Steelers in 2021. He regularly served as the team's third receiver and managed to haul in a career-best 39 passes for 277 yards. His role as a pass catcher is likely to dwindle in San Francisco as he will slot in behind at least Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on the depth chart while also battling for targets with tight end George Kittle. As a result, McCloud's primary value could come as a punt returner, as he led the NFL with 367 punt return yards in 2021.
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Steelers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Targeted nine times in Week 18
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McCloud caught four of nine targets for 37 yards in Sunday's 16-13 overtime win over the Ravens.
McCloud had a consistent target share across the final three weeks of the regular season with at least eight targets in each of those games. However, he mustered only four catches in each appearance and failed to top 40 yards in any of those matchups. The 25-year-old appeared in 16 of 17 games during the regular season and caught 39 of 66 targets for 277 yards while rushing twice for 15 yards. He's slated to become an unrestricted free agent ahead of the 2022 campaign.
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Steelers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Draws 10 targets against Browns
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McCloud secured four of 10 targets for 35 yards in Monday's 26-14 win over Cleveland.
McCloud's 10 targets marked his second-highest target count of the season, but he failed to generate much yardage as the Steelers' passing game struggled with efficiency Monday. The 2018 sixth-rounder has drawn at least eight targets in three of the last four games but has secured just 15 of his 29 targets for 92 yards during that time.
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Steelers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Targeted eight times in loss
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McCloud secured four of eight targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 36-10 loss to Kansas City.
McCloud didn't record any yardage in last week's win over Tennessee, but he ranked second on the team in targets in Sunday's blowout loss. The 2018 sixth-rounder has had inconsistent targets this year but has now been targeted at least eight times in three of his last six appearances.
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Steelers' Ray-Ray McCloud: Limited production against Ravens
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McCloud hauled in one of four targets for seven yards in Sunday's 20-19 win over Baltimore.
McCloud missed last week's loss to the Bengals since he was on the reserve/COVID-19 list, but he returned to the field Sunday following a one-game absence. The 25-year-old's 40 offensive snaps ranked second among the team's wide receivers Sunday, but he failed to generate much production on his four targets. McCloud was targeted 12 times against the Lions in Week 10 but has secured just three of six targets for 19 yards in his two appearances since then.
