Who Should I Start? Durham Smythe or John Bates

BENCH

Week 3 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
2.3 0.0 0.0 1.0 9.6 0.1

Durham Smythe News

Ravens Agree to Terms With Durham Smythe

Wednesday, March 11, 12:32 PM

The Baltimore Ravens agreed to terms on an undisclosed deal with free-agent tight end Durham Smythe on Wednesday, sources told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Smythe will likely be the blocking replacement at the position for Charlie Kolar, who left in free agency this week to join the Los Angeles Chargers. The 30-year-old veteran will reunite with new Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle after being coached by him with the Chicago Bears in 2025. The former fourth-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in 2018 out of Notre Dame won't be anywhere near the fantasy radar in any format going into next season. Smythe had a career-low four catches on six targets for 25 yards in 17 regular-season games with the Bears last year, and he has a measly 136 receptions for 1,253 yards and three touchdowns in his eight-year NFL career.

START

Week 3 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
3.7 0.0 0.0 1.6 14.3 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.

Durham Smythe vs. John Bates

Still trying to decide between Smythe and Bates? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Durham Smythe is projected to score 2.3 points this week while John Bates is projected to score 3.7 points.