Who Should I Start? Robert Woods or Mo Alie-Cox

Friday, February 23, 2:21 PM

The Houston Texans will have an estimated $65.4 million in salary cap space in 2024, so they are in good shape. But if they are going to cut someone to gain even more cap space this offseason, The Athletic's Mike Jones speculates it could be veteran wide receiver Robert Woods. While Woods has been regarded as a reliable veteran, his production has declined in recent years, and he's set to count $9.75 million against the cap. He had only 40 catches for 426 yards and a touchdown in 14 games in 2023, and the emergence of young receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell could cause the soon-to-be 32-year-old to be expendable. If he's cut, Woods would come with a $4.75 million dead-cap hit. Even after Dell suffered a season-ending injury last year, Woods found it difficult to stand out for the Texans and fantasy managers.

Friday, February 23, 2:30 PM

The Athletic's James Boyd writes that Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox is an easy target if the team wishes to create more salary cap space this offseason. He's entering the final year of a three-year, $17.6 million contract extension that he signed in 2022. Alie-Cox is due the last $5.9 million of that in 2024, but none of it is guaranteed. The 30-year-old is the team's best blocking tight end and has recorded at least three touchdowns in each of the last three seasons, but he's not getting any younger and is unlikely to develop into a true No. 1 pass-catching tight end at this point of his career. Both Will Mallory and third-year tight end Jelani Woods, who missed all of 2023 with hamstring issues, give the Colts more upside at the position amid their current youth movement. Alie-Cox hasn't been much more than a low-upside, touchdown-dependent TE2 option for fantasy managers in deep leagues.