Who Should I Start? Durham Smythe or John Bates

Tuesday, October 6, 10:11 AM

Baltimore Ravens tight end Durham Smythe (Achilles) suffered a torn Achilles tendon on Sunday in the Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans and will now miss the rest of the 2026 season, an MRI exam confirmed, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Smythe, who has always been a blocking-first tight end, was not on the fantasy radar in his ninth season in the league. In four games in his first year with Baltimore, he caught just one of two targets for four yards. Mark Andrews will continue to be the Ravens' primary pass-catching tight end, but with Smythe now done for the year, rookies Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas will be forced into bigger roles behind Andrews. The loss of Smythe for the season does not move the fantasy needle at all, but it could hurt All-Pro running back Derrick Henry and the Ravens' rushing attack the rest of the way. Smythe, a former fourth-rounder in 2018 from Notre Dame by the Miami Dolphins, has only 137 catches for 1,257 yards and three touchdowns in his nine seasons in the NFL.