Who Should I Start? Russell Gage Jr. or Tank Dell

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, August 26, 11:17 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) was placed on the PUP list Tuesday, according to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. This was merely a procedural move to get Dell off the 53-man roster ahead of the 2025 NFL season. Placement on the PUP list comes with the requirement that a player misses at least four games, which won't be a problem for Dell given that he's expected to be sidelined for most or all of the season while he recovers from a dislocated knee and torn ACL, MCL, and LCL. Nico Collins and Christian Kirk will operate as C.J. Stroud's primary targets in the passing game, while tight end Dalton Schultz and rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel also look to get involved.