Who Should I Start? Russell Gage or Robert Woods

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.

Friday, February 23, 2:21 PM

The Houston Texans will have an estimated $65.4 million in salary cap space in 2024, so they are in good shape. But if they are going to cut someone to gain even more cap space this offseason, The Athletic's Mike Jones speculates it could be veteran wide receiver Robert Woods. While Woods has been regarded as a reliable veteran, his production has declined in recent years, and he's set to count $9.75 million against the cap. He had only 40 catches for 426 yards and a touchdown in 14 games in 2023, and the emergence of young receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell could cause the soon-to-be 32-year-old to be expendable. If he's cut, Woods would come with a $4.75 million dead-cap hit. Even after Dell suffered a season-ending injury last year, Woods found it difficult to stand out for the Texans and fantasy managers.