Who Should I Start? Russell Gage Jr. or Alec Pierce

Sunday, August 3, 11:01 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Russell Gage has "run some really crisp routes" in training camp practices and has drawn the praise of quarterback Brock Purdy, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic. The veteran wideout has been forced into a more prominent training camp role as a result of injuries to San Francisco receivers Brandon Aiyuk (knee), Jauan Jennings (calf), and Jacob Cowing (hamstring). Gage last appeared in an NFL game in 2022 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 74 career games, he's recorded 244 catches for 2,491 yards and 14 touchdowns. Gage is probably still a long shot to make an impact in fantasy this season, but he could earn some playing time early in the season if San Francisco continues to deal with injuries in their wide receiver room.

Thursday, August 14, 7:13 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (groin) missed another training camp practice on Thursday with a groin injury, according to The Athletic's James Boyd. Pierce is considered day-to-day and almost certainly won't play in the second preseason game this Saturday against the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, fellow wideout Josh Downs suffered a hamstring injury in practice on Thursday and left early. The health of Indy's receivers is something to watch closely as we near the start of the 2025 regular season. With both Pierce and Downs banged up, Adonai Mitchell is the team's WR2 behind Michael Pittman Jr., while Ashton Dulin will also take on a bigger role. Pierce led the NFL with 22.3 yards per catch in 2024 and had a career-high 824 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games, but he'll have plenty of competition for targets with a QB situation that isn't ideal.