Who Should I Start? Russell Gage Jr. or Christian Watson

Saturday, September 6, 4:32 PM

The San Francisco 49ers have elevated veteran wide receiver Russell Gage Jr. from the practice squad, meaning he will see his first game action since 2022. Gage missed the past two seasons after suffering a torn patellar tendon, but was previously a reliable WR3 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Tom Brady. The 49ers' receiver room is in shambles, with Brandon Aiyuk, Jacob Cowing, and Demarcus Robinson all sidelined. Gage has a chance to see the field in Week 1 as he's expected to serve as the team's WR5 and play limited snaps if needed. While fantasy production isn't likely, simply seeing Gage back on the field after such a long recovery is a great story and an encouraging sign for San Francisco's depth moving forward.

Tuesday, October 28, 1:27 PM

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson returned to the Packers' lineup in Week 8 following an ACL injury that ended his 2024 season in Week 18. Watson was an immediate focal point of the offense in his 2025 debut, bringing in all four of his targets for 85 yards. The big question: can Watson be a fantasy-relevant player this season? While it was great to see Watson back and receive immediate involvement in the passing game, he's still behind Tucker Kraft, Romeo Doubs, and Josh Jacobs in the pecking order on offense. Watson's game has always been as a vertical receiver, and for fantasy, those types of players are boom-or-bust in nature. That makes it hard to start him in most weeks, even with bye weeks in full swing. For the Packers' Week 9 matchup against the Panthers, consider Watson a low-end flex play.