Russell Gage Fantasy Outlook & Injury Update 2022 (Upside Could Be Limited by Crowded WR Room)

Most NFL pass-catchers dream of playing with a quarterback of Tom Brady's caliber. Veteran wide receiver Russell Gage gets to experience playing with the all-time great QB after signing a three-year, $30 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason.

Gage is quite talented, though playing with the lowly Atlanta Falcons last season saw him finish 2021 as the WR38 in PPR fantasy football formats. Now on a contender in the form of the Bucs, is the 26-year-old a viable option for fantasy managers?

Russell Gage Fantasy Football Outlook

Despite missing three games to injury, Gage nearly had his best season to date last year. He finished his fourth NFL campaign catching a career-high 70.2% of his targets, turning them into 66 catches for 770 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

While playing with the Buccaneers will likely be a better experience for Gage, it may not translate into fantasy results. Brady has a ton of mouths to feed, including Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, Cameron Brate and Kyle Rudolph.

Yes, Gage is projected to be Tampa Bay's No. 3 WR, but that's still a lot of competition to deal with. He isn't usually a big-play receiver and does most of his fantasy damage through having a reliable volume. With more bodies to take the ball away from him, it could be a rough year for managers expecting a lot from the Baton Rouge, LA native.

Russell Gage Injury Update

Fantasy managers might be concerned over the fact that Gage dealt with an undisclosed injury earlier this offseason. That's understandable after the time he missed last season. Fortunately, it doesn't appear that there's any reason to worry.

Gage has been fully healthy during Buccaneers training camp and hasn't had any setbacks. Reports indicate that he's done well at building chemistry with Brady, leaving time to tell how that'll pay off in the regular season.

Barring any preseason setbacks, expect Gage to be fully healthy and ready for Week 1 of the 2022 fantasy year.

Russell Gage Projections

Projections from the NFL odds on FanDuel Sportsbook are a bit mixed for Gage. On one hand, he's only available at +10000 (T-No. 44) to lead the league in receiving yards. On the other, he sits at +5000 (T-No. 24) to finish as the 2022 NFL receiving TDs leader.

Is Russell Gage a Good Fantasy Football Pick?

As talented as he is, Gage's fantasy upside is limited by a crowded Buccaneers WR room. There's some upside if Godwin's ACL recovery features a setback or if Jones remains injury prone. However, managers should at least brace themselves for inconsistent totals. He projects more of an occasional flex option than a wideout that you can confidently start every week.

Gage didn't even make the cut when it comes to The Duel's PPR player rankings. He slots in as the WR47 with an average draft position of 118.7 on FantasyPros, making him a player who'll likely still be on the board around Rounds 9 and 10 in 12-team leagues.

If you've drafted Gage, then check out the best Tampa Bay Buccaneers fantasy football team names for your squad.

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.