BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues
ROSTERED IN: 13% of Leagues
ANALYSIS: The Bucs couldn't count on Julio Jones last Sunday but even having the veteran wouldn't have helped them defeat a much superior Bengals team. Russell Gage was the man tasked with stepping up, and truth be told, he couldn't have done more in Week 15.
Gage has been an afterthought this season barring two explosions: one for 24.7 PPR points all the way back in Week 3, and Sunday's 25.9 PPR outing. Both matchups saw Gage hit top-five fantasy finishes among wideouts and top-12 OVR finishing on top of that.
In the game against Cincy, Gage finished with eight receptions (12 targets) for 59 yards, and most importantly, two TDs. Barring the scores, the other stats weren't season-high marks as his Week 3 numbers were gaudy: 12-of-13 receptions, 87 yards, and one TD.
Gage has been on the field for fewer than 60% of all offensive snaps played by the Bucs this season. He's battled Julio for WR3 rights, and before an injury forced Jones out of Week 15, he had been playing an increasing rate of snaps on a weekly basis compared to Gage's opposite trend.
Don't trust Gage for another top-10 finish ROS (although it could happen) and roster/start him just in deeper formats as your flier-type FLEX player. He is experienced and has proven capable of getting extraordinary numbers, but the Bucs are just not helping him get there weekly.
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