Who Should I Start? Russell Gage or Rashod Bateman

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.

Wednesday, April 24, 2:11 PM

The Baltimore Ravens signed wide receiver Rashod Bateman to an undisclosed contract extension on Wednesday that ties him to the team through the 2026 season. Bateman was able to stay healthy in 2023, but he was overshadowed by rookie first-rounder Zay Flowers and finished with a disappointing 32 catches for 367 yards and just one touchdown on 56 targets in 16 regular-season games (12 starts) in his third year in the league. The 24-year-old former 27th overall pick in 2021 out of Minnesota hasn't lived up to his first-round billing and has found the end zone just four times in three years. The Ravens continue to say that Bateman is going to have a bigger role in the passing attack in 2024, but fantasy managers will want to see it before they believe it.