Who Should I Start? John Bates or Charlie Kolar

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.

Saturday, November 30, 6:51 PM

Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar (arm) has been placed on the injured reserve on Saturday. As expected, Kolar is going to miss significant time after breaking his arm during last week's win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Kolar has a chance to return before the end of the regular season, but we'll wait and see how he progresses. The absence of Kolar won't mean too much for this offense going forward. It should mean a few more snaps for Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews down the stretch of the season, but should only give some a slight uptick in value.