Who Should I Start? John Bates or Eli Raridon

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Week 8 Projections

Fant. Pts.	Rush. Yds.	Rush TD	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec TD
1.8	0.0	0.0	0.8	7.0	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.

Eli Raridon - New England (TE)

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Week 8 Projections

Fant. Pts.	Rush. Yds.	Rush TD	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec TD
6.3	0.0	0.0	2.2	25.7	0.2

Eli Raridon News

Eli Raridon Worth Adding After Another Strong Performance

Tuesday, October 27, 7:00 AM

New England Patriots rookie tight end Eli Raridon caught three of four targets for 56 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's Week 7 loss to Chicago, including a 30-yard scoring reception from Drake Maye. Raridon also caught five for 57 against Las Vegas in Week 5 and has 12 catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns in six appearances. Hunter Henry remains New England's primary tight end, catching seven passes for 71 yards against Chicago, but Raridon is establishing a receiving role of his own. His big-play ability makes him an intriguing Week 8 pickup against Miami.

John Bates vs. Eli Raridon

Still trying to decide between Bates and Raridon? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that John Bates is projected to score 1.8 points this week while Eli Raridon is projected to score 6.3 points.