Who Should I Start? Harrison Bryant or John Bates

Friday, November 29, 1:52 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Harrison Bryant (ankle) was removed from the team's final Week 13 injury report on Thursday, but he will be a healthy scratch for Friday's divisional matchup against the hosting Kansas City Chiefs. Bryant sat out of the last two games due to his ankle injury and will now miss a third straight contest, although it appears he's put his ankle injury in the rearview mirror. The 26-year-old is the third QB in Vegas behind both Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, so he's well off the fantasy radar now that Mayer is back with the team. In his first year with the Raiders in 2024, Bryant has barely been involved in the eight games he's been active for, catching nine of his 12 targets for 86 yards and no touchdowns.

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.