Who Should I Start? Russell Gage or Noah Fant

Monday, March 11, 6:31 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage (knee) is now a free agent. When the team reworked his deal last year, it included an option for the 2024 season, and the team has declined to pick it up. The move clears what would have been $10 million in salary, but the Bucs will take on roughly $6.9 million in dead money from old restructures. Gage signed a three-year, $30 million in free agency before the 2022 season to give quarterback Tom Brady another weapon in the passing game. He did have a career-high five touchdowns in 2022, but he also had a disappointing 51 catches for 426 yards and didn't play at all last year due to a torn patellar tendon that he suffered in training camp in August. The 28-year-old should resurface with another team, but coming off a major knee injury, it's unlikely that he'll be able to make much of a fantasy impact wherever he lands.

Monday, March 11, 7:53 PM

Free-agent tight end Noah Fant is re-signing with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday for two years and $21 million, according to sources. The former first-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2019 out of Iowa has over 2,800 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in his five NFL seasons with Denver and Seattle. He hasn't been much more than a TE2 in fantasy, though, and he really disappointed last year with a career-low 32 receptions on 43 targets for 414 yards and no touchdowns in 17 starts. The good news is that both Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson are headed elsewhere in free agency, so perhaps the 26-year-old Fant is able to rebound as a more-involved pass-catcher in 2024. Until that happens, though, he should be left on the waiver wire in 12-team fantasy leagues.