WR Russell Gage, Free Agent (2 Viewers)

[Ministry of Pain]

I see stuff like this and feel dumb that I’m even waffling between Gage and Slayton. Guess I need to get used to the idea that Gage IS the upside play in comparisons like this now, and I’ve owned him since last season in dynasty

48/740/8 Touchdowns as a rookie with big play ability and possibly a future Top 10-12 type WR, his name is Darius Slayton. 

49/446/1 single-TD his 2nd Season in the league and his name is Russell Gage. 

I'm just saying there is a HUGE Difference between these 2 WRs and while this week in PPR, sure Gage seems like a good play but remember that if Julio is not on the field, makes it easier to locate Gage. 

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Slayton pops off today, he can pop almost any week, still learning the NFL game, getting better and better. 

Slayton opened with 6/102/2TDs making 10 Touchdowns now in 10 NFL Starts...read that again 

Good Luck today,

Cheers!

 

[barackdhouse]

48/740/8 Touchdowns as a rookie with big play ability and possibly a future Top 10-12 type WR, his name is Darius Slayton. 

49/446/1 single-TD his 2nd Season in the league and his name is Russell Gage. 

I'm just saying there is a HUGE Difference between these 2 WRs and while this week in PPR, sure Gage seems like a good play but remember that if Julio is not on the field, makes it easier to locate Gage. 

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Slayton pops off today, he can pop almost any week, still learning the NFL game, getting better and better. 

Slayton opened with 6/102/2TDs making 10 Touchdowns now in 10 NFL Starts...read that again 

Good Luck today,

Cheers!

Yeah man I tend to agree. The only problem is that *at this moment* I trust Matt Ryan a lot more than Jones and the Giants O in terms of upside for these two. 

That said I'm starting Slayton everywhere I can and have been on that train for awhile now. I only picked up Gage in a couple spots and probably need to start him. I don't think I am choosing between the two in any spots but I lean Gage for this week if I had to.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Yeah man I tend to agree. The only problem is that *at this moment* I trust Matt Ryan a lot more than Jones and the Giants O in terms of upside for these two. 

That said I'm starting Slayton everywhere I can and have been on that train for awhile now. I only picked up Gage in a couple spots and probably need to start him. I don't think I am choosing between the two in any spots but I lean Gage for this week if I had to.

The Niners lost almost every big name on their roster last week...Bosa/Garopolo, any chance the Giants knock off the Niners today in New York?...

How could Vegas push that line all the way down to 3.5 today...they are begging folks to grab the Niners. 

 

[barackdhouse]

The Niners lost almost every big name on their roster last week...Bosa/Garopolo, any chance the Giants knock off the Niners today in New York?...

How could Vegas push that line all the way down to 3.5 today...they are begging folks to grab the Niners. 

Yeah it is a nutty story about that line. How the heck do you lose Barkley and go from 6.5 pt dogs all the way down to 3.5? Goes to show how ridiculous SF got bit. Yeah I actually do think the Giants can do it today. They still can't run block though and I'm not touching this line.

 

[dcgangstas]

Julio's inactive today;   more looks for Gage and Hurst.  

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Julio's inactive today;   more looks for Gage and Hurst.  

Just got a report from the opponent's locker room that they have informed the defense Julio is not suiting up today so i don't think it will be a shock to them or anything. I wonder who they will focus on covering now? Probably Ridley, right?

. Gotta keep it real, less for the defense to keep up with.

 

[dcgangstas]

Just got a report from the opponent's locker room that they have informed the defense Julio is not suiting up today so i don't think it will be a shock to them or anything. I wonder who they will focus on covering now? Probably Ridley, right?

. Gotta keep it real, less for the defense to keep up with.

They'll probably double Ridley now.  

 

[Big Blue Wrecking Crew]

Fantasy Pros ECR has him at WR 41, if Julio sits how high does Gage go?

WR35 - CDavis

WR30- Slayton

WR25 - CD Lamb

WR20- Diggs

I'd probably put him in the high 20's

Have to decide between him and Lamb (if Dolphins did not play Thursday, may have say Parker for both of them).

Still leaning Lamb based on matchup (Seahawks struggle covering the slot, and struggling defensively overall; Bears still solid D, especially in secondary).

Anyone else have the same decision to make?

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

Hello reason to excitedly bench Corey Davis.

 

[Ilov80s]

I see stuff like this and feel dumb that I’m even waffling between Gage and Slayton. Guess I need to get used to the idea that Gage IS the upside play in comparisons like this now, and I’ve owned him since last season in dynasty

To be fair, I don’t have Slayton so my decision is easy.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Gage is being evaluated for a head injury and might not return

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

Grand opening, grand closing.

 

[Faust]

Falcons WR Russell Gage (concussion) practiced Thursday. 

It appears Gage, who was knocked out of the team's Week 3 game against the Bears, practiced in a limited capacity. The productive slot receiver would be a solid flex option in deeper formats this week against the Packers. He commanded 24 percent of the Falcons' targets through the season's first two weeks. 

SOURCE: Tori McElhaney on Twitter 

Oct 1, 2020, 1:17 PM ET

 

[Faust]

NFL  Beat Writers @32BeatWriters

Russell Gage will play after practicing in full yesterday and today

https://twitter.com/32beatwriters/status/1312465857717497856?s=21

 

[xenon]

Who's the better longer term add for a team desperate at WR- Gate or Tim Patrick?

 

[The Frankman]

Russell Gage caught 2-of-5 targets for 16 yards in the Falcons' Week 5 loss to the Panthers.

It was a great spot on paper for Gage. Julio Jones was injured and the Panthers defense has been beatable for a few years. It didn't matter the way Matt Ryan played. Gage wasn't very involved with Calvin Ridley dominated targets (10) and Todd Gurley seeing 18 touches. If the offense can figure things out, Gage has a path to flex value in PPR formats, but he's hard to trust right now. The Vikings are another plus matchup if you're desperate.

- Rotoworld

Also injured his should on a play but came back.

 

[Faust]

Russell Gage caught 4-of-4 targets for 65 yards in the Falcons' Week 6 win over the Vikings.

Matt Ryan threw for 371 yards and four touchdowns. Everyone ate in Atlanta, just some more than others. Gage was tied for third in targets behind Julio Jones (10) and Calvin Ridley (7). That trend should continue with both top receivers playing at full health again. Gage has some outside WR4 appeal in potential shootouts but his floor is lower with Jones back commanding a 25-30% target share. The burnable Lions are on the schedule next.

Oct 18, 2020, 4:28 PM ET

 

[Faust]

Russell Gage was limited in Monday and Tuesday's practices with a knee issue.

It's a new "injury" for Gage, who was listed with a shoulder in Week 7. He was removed from the injury report on Friday before operating in his normal role against the Lions. That figures to also be the case for Thursday night's game against the Panthers. Gage offers low-end WR4 value in PPR leagues.  

Oct 27, 2020, 4:51 PM ET

 

[Faust]

Falcons WR Russell Gage (knee) is active for Week 8 against the Panthers.

Gage was removed from the injury report on Wednesday. With Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley both healthy and cooking, Gage is a bottom-basement WR4 in PPR leagues. Inactive for the Falcons are DE Takk McKinley, RB Ito Smith, DT Marlon Davidson, CB Jordan Miller and OT John Wetzel.

Oct 29, 2020, 6:48 PM ET

 

[Faust]

Russell Gage caught 2-of-3 targets for 25 yards in the Falcons' Week 8 win over the Panthers. 

It was a disappointing effort on a night where Calvin Ridley missed over half the game with an ankle issue. Gage has just 18 total grabs after combining for 16 across Weeks 1 and 2. Ridley's potential Week 9 absence against the Broncos could put Gage in the WR4 mix, but he will still be third in line for targets behind Julio Jones and Hayden Hurst. There's not much here outside the deepest of PPR leagues. 

Oct 30, 2020, 12:20 AM ET

 

[Faust]

Russell Gage caught 7-of-12 targets for 58 yards in Atlanta's Week 11 loss to New Orleans.

Gage's team-high 32.4% target share was encouraging, but it only occurred because Matt Ryan was forced to dump the ball off under duress while Julio Jones (hamstring) missed a majority of play. Gage hasn't exceeded 70 yards or scored in his last nine games and isn't an option for fantasy moving forward.

Nov 23, 2020, 11:08 AM ET

 

[iamkoza]

with julio out has gage been lining up outside mostly or in the slot? kc is slightly worse vs slot receivers

 

[The Frankman]

Russell Gage caught 9-of-11 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons Week 17 loss to the Buccaneers.

Gage capped off a solid year with a great performance while Calvin Ridley was being shut down by the Bucs' defense. He also added a rush attempt for 11 yards. Gage ends the year with 72 receptions for 786 yards and four touchdowns. His best game came in Week 1 when he was targeted 12 times and brought down nine passes for 114 yards. he didn't top 90 yards again until the final week of the season but he did top 50 yards in half of his games this year. Gage's stats were likely boosted by Julio Jones's injuries but that has been a recurring theme with Jones in recent years. Gage is under contract with the Falcons for one more season and should have some value in deeper leagues next year because of how often the Falcons seem to find themselves in shootouts.

- Rotoworld

 

[Faust]

Julio Jones trade: Who are the winners and losers?

Excerpt:

Winners

Russell Gage: As much as the Falcons will be leaning on Ridley and Pitts to energize their offense with Jones now departed, they'll also be looking for more from Gage. The 2018 sixth-round pick has steadily made a name for himself in the NFL, as he's gone from a player who produced six receptions as a rookie to one who had 72 catches in 2020. More importantly, Gage saw his targets increase dramatically as a lingering hamstring injury plagued Jones throughout the season. There couldn't be a more opportune time for a player to capitalize on a bigger role in the offense, as Gage is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He'll have plenty of chances to prove his value with Jones now playing in Tennessee.

 

[Faust]

Fantasy Football: Impact of Falcons trading Julio Jones to Titans

Excerpt:

As for the other ancillary offensive pieces like Russell Gage and Olamidee Zaccheaus, fade Gage and buy Zaccheaus as a value. Gage is going to see a massive boost in draft stock, but it’s unwarranted.

The Falcons slot WR averaged more fantasy points per game with a healthy Jones in the lineup (11.7) than without (10.4). His 19% target share did not change at all.

Meanwhile, Zaccheaus performed admirably relative to expectation when given more playing time. He averaged 11.8 fantasy points per game and out-produced Gage across the board. If you’re looking to capitalize on the Jones trade news, the value is taking Zaccheaus with an extremely late pick. The former 2019 UDFA could soon find himself with a starting role on the outside.

 

[Faust]

Hartitz: 9 Fantasy Football Takeaways from the Falcons Trading Julio Jones to the Titans

Excerpt:

8. RUSSELL GAGE IS A SOLID WR3

The Falcons’ newfound No. 2 WR will likely rocket up rankings, and he should! There’s now plenty of potential for a triple-digit target workload; just realize the overall efficiency of this passing game is likely to decrease. I’m comfortable selecting PFF’s highest-graded passer from 2020 as a borderline WR3 in fantasyland, but we should still fully expect him to finish outside of this passing game’s top two targets.

 

[sushinsky4tsar]

I think Frank Darby makes his way into the late 3rd / 4th round territory of my rookie draft board.

 

[Faust]

HOW WILL RUSSELL GAGE FARE AS FALCONS' WR2?

 

[Faust]

Falcons WR Russell Gage ready to help fill Julio Jones' shoes

 

[Faust]

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said he "envisions" WR Russell Gage playing "multiple spots" in 2021. 

Gage, slated to be a beneficiary of Julio Jones departing to the Titans, functioned as the team's slot wideout in 2020, seeing 71 of his 108 targets from the slot. Only five receivers saw more slot targets than Gage in 2020. “Russ has worked a lot in the slot, but like with all of our skill players, it’s our job to as coaches to push down with these guys and see what they can handle,” Smith said. “Russell has done a nice job in the slot, but we’ve moved Russell all over the place. Then we’ve got to make decisions as we get closer to the season. … We envision Russ playing multiple spots.” Gage should be third in the Falcons' pass-catching pecking order, behind Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts. He'll be an intriguing later-round pick in PPR formats this summer.

SOURCE: AJC.com 

Jun 11, 2021, 9:42 AM ET

 

[sushinsky4tsar]

Picked him up based on some of his early stat lines, despite not really hearing any analysts vouching for the talent.    Seemed pretty underwhelming when he got his chance at the #2 with Julio out.   I get the sense that he might be a career long #3 WR.   I think it was Cecil Lammey who covered the Senior Bowl and had a lot of positive things to say about Frank Darby's compete level.   I think that's the upside WR I'm more interested in taking a flyer on.  

 

[Shaq90]

I'm buying. Let's say the rookie TE has trouble producing early. Let's say little brittle, Calvin Ridley misses another game. The guy saw double-digit targets plenty of times. He's a chain moving machine.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Extremely quiet in here considering Julio is gone. Even being generous and assuming Pitts takes most of Julio’s targets, it still seems like there’s very little buzz around this guy. I know Gage isn’t a stud or anything but he’s free money in PPR, right? 

 

[cloppbeast]

Extremely quiet in here considering Julio is gone. Even being generous and assuming Pitts takes most of Julio’s targets, it still seems like there’s very little buzz around this guy. I know Gage isn’t a stud or anything but he’s free money in PPR, right? 

Best case long term he's a Tyler Boyd. The Falcons could address the position next year wherein Gage was your WR3 for one year. There's also a non-zero chance Orville Zaccheaus eats into a bunch of the non-Pitts/Ridley targets.

 

[Hoss Style]

Didn't see the entire game.  What happened with Gage?  Just a result of the horrible offensive output?  Tough match up defensively (did they key on him)?  Or did he just struggle getting open because of his own issues? 

 

[GoBirds]

He’s #2 on a bad team that will be playing catch up all season….especially this week against TB. There’s has to be some hope here compared to the rest of the WW options like Edwards and Watkins?  Or No?

 

[ZADO]

He’s #2 on a bad team that will be playing catch up all season….especially this week against TB. There’s has to be some hope here compared to the rest of the WW options like Edwards and Watkins?  Or No?

He`ll probably heat up soon

 

[boilerdave]

I feel like he’s definitely a hold onto WR. Fortunately he’s on my benches as a bye week fill in or injury replacement. 

 

[Faust]

Ian Rapoport @RapSheet

#Falcons WR Russell Gage is considered week-to-week with an ankle injury suffered on Sunday, source said. The team will see on Friday if he can possibly go this week vs the #Giants, though it appears as a bit of a long-shot at first glance.

https://twitter.com/rapsheet/status/1440701204032491532?s=21

 

[Faust]

Falcons declared WR Russell Gage (ankle) out for Week 4 against Washington.

This will be Gage's second missed game since suffering an ankle injury in Week 2. He was replaced in the slot in Week 3 by Olamide Zaccheaus. Zaccheaus played well, seeing a target on 21% of his routes and stretching the defense more than Gage, with an aDOT of 11. Gage's absence also coincided with Kyle Pitts seeing a season-high 18 snaps out wide. Pitts struggled to earn targets, but the potential to see similar usage this week should still viewed as a positive sign for his Week 4 outlook.

RELATED: 

Olamide Zaccheaus

, Kyle Pitts

Oct 1, 2021, 2:11 PM ET

 

[titusbramble]

Yeah, was worth the punt in a deeper dynasty startup but dropped him this week for some Patriots WR whose name I forget, just not going to work out any time soon

 

[Faust]

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Russell Gage (ankle) will not travel with the team for their Week 5 game against the Jets in London.

What we're all thinking here is that this is finally the game where Kyle Pitts draws huge volume with Gage and Calvin Ridley out, right? What will probably actually happen, given how Pitts year has gone, is a 100-yard game on 17 targets for Olamide Zaccheaus. Also in line for more work on Sunday with two of Atlanta's best wideouts down: Tajae Sharpe, Christian Blake, and rookie sixth-rounder Frank Darby. Sharpe got two targets in Week 4's loss to the Football Team and stands to benefit the most. 

RELATED: 

Olamide Zaccheaus

SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter

Oct 7, 2021, 1:42 PM ET

 

[Faust]

Russell Gage (ankle) returned to practice Monday.

Monday practices are typically pretty light so his status will still need monitoring throughout the week. Still, it's a good sign that he has a shot to suit up versus the Dolphins this week. Gage has been sidelined since Week 2. He was held without a catch in Atlanta's opener but "rebounded" with a 5-28 line the next week. Gage remains off the fantasy radar for now as the Falcons' offense has turned out to be considerably less exciting than expected, save for a slew of Cordarrelle Patterson touchdowns. 

SOURCE: D. Orlando Ledbetter on Twitter

Oct 18, 2021, 2:00 PM ET

 

[bombjack]

Deeper league target with Ridley out?

Not sure where disappeared to last week. Was getting decent targets when healthy (with Ridley)?

 

[kface]

I drafted this guy and had a lot of hope for him this season.  Hard to tell what happened...

 

[kyoun1e]

Hasn't Gage performed in the past when the starters have been out? Could swear he was solid minus Julio in some spots.

Thinking ATL was just completely fouled up this past weekend. Gage not getting a target makes no sense. Not to mention, the CAR D is no slouch.

 

[TampaMike19]

Deeper league target with Ridley out?

Not sure where disappeared to last week. Was getting decent targets when healthy (with Ridley)?

Think I saw this clownshow offense game plan around two tight end base offense. You're real imposing when you feature Hayden hurst

 

[kface]

So do we think he is worth a pick up?  Or is this offense just kind of shot for the rest of year and focuses on patterson and Pitts

 

[TampaMike19]

So do we think he is worth a pick up?  Or is this offense just kind of shot for the rest of year and focuses on patterson and Pitts

How can you trust him or the staff? He went from 6 targets and a nice game to literally 0 targets and half the snaps, and that was WITH Ridley out. 

It's that or my guess was 2 TE base offense was part of the game plan to help with protection/pass rush/attack LB's, and that Gage is their slot WR in 11 personnel. Either way, he's not good enough to be a full time player on 12 personel without Ridley?

 

[The Frankman]

Russell Gage caught 7-of-8 targets for 64 yards in the Falcons' Week 9 win over the Saints.

With Marshon Lattimore occupied by Kyle Pitts, Gage finally stacked up some cheap PPR points as he doubled his previous 2021 production. It never made sense that Gage was getting out-produced by Tajae Sharpe, but don't expect any re-draft miracles going forward. Even for plus matchups like Week 10's date with the Cowboys, Gage will be a low floor on a fruitless search for ceiling. He's a WR5, at best, even in PPR formats. 

- NBC SportsEDGE