Who Should I Start? Cole Kmet or John Bates

BENCH

Week 9 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Cole Kmet News

Cole Kmet Feared to Have Suffered Season-Ending Knee Injury

Friday, October 23, 7:51 AM

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (right knee) is believed to have suffered a serious, likely season-ending injury during Thursday's 30-24 victory over the New England Patriots, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Kmet was carted off after injuring his knee on a fourth-quarter reception and finished with three catches for 28 yards. Head coach Ben Johnson said afterward that the injury did not look good, although further testing is needed to confirm the severity. Kmet has caught 10 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown through seven games, with Colston Loveland already serving as Chicago's primary receiving tight end. Loveland has caught 13 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns over the past two games, including seven receptions on 12 targets Thursday. If Kmet misses extended time, reserve Sam Roush could take on additional snaps in Chicago's multi-tight-end packages.

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Week 9 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
2.0 0.0 0.0 0.8 7.8 0.1

John Bates News

John Bates Could See a Larger Role in Commanders Offense

Saturday, September 26, 6:18 PM

Across his first two games of 2026, Washington Commanders tight end John Bates has recorded just two catches for 13 yards on three targets. However, the 28-year-old could see more playing time in his team's Week 3 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Commanders TE1 Chig Okonkwo (hamstring) is set to miss his second consecutive game with a hamstring injury. While Bates was not heavily utilized in Week 2, Washington got uninspiring production from the tight end duo of Ben Sinnott and Colson Yankoff. Bates has recorded just 74 receptions across 84 career games with the Commanders, so he's no guarantee to step in and provide fantasy-relevant production. Still, Bates could be a name to monitor in deep fantasy leagues coming out of Week 3.

Cole Kmet vs. John Bates

Still trying to decide between Kmet and Bates? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Cole Kmet is projected to score 0.0 points this week while John Bates is projected to score 2.0 points.