Who Should I Start? Brevin Jordan or John Bates

Thursday, December 5, 12:03 PM

The Houston Texans signed tight end Brevin Jordan (knee) to an undisclosed one-year contract extension on Thursday morning, according to a source. Jordan was poised for a breakout season in 2024 but tore his ACL in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears. With the extension in place, the Texans will look forward to having him back in 2025. The 24-year-old served as mostly a lead blocker in the first two games of the season behind pass-catching tight end Dalton Schultz, catching only two of his three targets for seven yards. His injury vaulted Cade Stover into a bigger role behind Schultz this year, but the rookie only has 14 receptions for 132 yards and one touchdown in 13 games played. Jordan has never had more than 20 catches, 219 receiving yards or three touchdowns in any of his four NFL seasons and won't be on the fantasy map in 2025 coming off his serious knee injury.

Friday, December 20, 7:20 PM

Washington Commanders tight end John Bates could be in store for an increased role, with Zach Ertz (concussion) listed as questionable for Sunday's divisional matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Ertz suffered this concussion last weekend and could not practice all week, which suggests he will face an uphill battle to pass the league's protocol. When filling in for Ertz last weekend, Bates brought in his lone target for six yards. Earlier this season, Bates caught six of his nine targets for 64 yards and averaged a solid 10.7 yards per reception. However, given his lack of offensive production, even in a reserve role, makes him a high-risk TE2 facing the Eagles. Fantasy managers should look for an alternative option as Bates will have a tough task ahead of him in his first start as the Eagles have allowed the fifth-fewest PPR points to the position this season.