Who Should I Start? Cole Kmet or John Bates
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 17.9 | 0.1 |
Cole Kmet News
Monday, July 27, 6:38 PM
Chicago Bears 27-year-old tight end Cole Kmet saw a significant decrease in production last season as the Bears drafted Colston Loveland 10th overall in the 2025 NFL draft last season. Kmet finished as the TE7 in 2022 and 2023, with his fantasy production driven by volume and touchdowns: he scored 7 touchdowns in 2022 and 6 in 2023. During the 2025 season, Kmet only saw 48 targets and hauled in 30 of them for 347 yards and two touchdowns. While the Bears have an elite offense, the passing attack is projected to run through second-year wideout Luther Burden and third-year receiver Rome Odunze to go along with Loveland, who broke out in a massive way in the second half of last season. Kmet's value hinges mostly on Loveland's health, and Kmet finds himself entering the 2026 season as a strong drop candidate in dynasty formats and going undrafted in a lot of fantasy leagues.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 7.4 | 0.1 |
John Bates News
Wednesday, December 24, 10:23 AM
Washington Commanders tight end John Bates was outsnapped 37 to 27 by second-year tight end Ben Sinnott in last week's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Bates has served as Washington's No. 2 TE for most of the season, primarily as a blocker. He posted his highest route share (50%) of the season in Week 15 with Zach Ertz (knee) out for the season, but that mark cratered in Week 16, falling to just 16%, his lowest since Week 2. Sinnott profiles as the better receiving option and is seeing his role increase in that area. He jumped to a season-high 56% route share last week. Bates seems to be trending back toward his typical role as the top blocking tight end and shouldn't be considered a fantasy option on Christmas Day against the Dallas Cowboys, especially considering Washington's starting QB is likely to be Josh Johnson with Marcus Mariota (hand, quadriceps) injured.
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 4.2 points this week while John Bates is projected to score 1.9 points.
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