Who Should I Start? John Bates or Elijah Arroyo

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Week 4 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
2.0 0.0 0.0 0.9 8.4 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.

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Week 4 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
2.6 0.0 0.0 1.0 12.1 0.1

Elijah Arroyo News

Elijah Arroyo Remains Buried on Seahawks Tight End Depth Chart

Saturday, September 26, 6:26 PM

A second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo saw minimal usage as a rookie. However, Arroyo earned some preseason buzz as a potential year-two breakout candidate this past summer. Two games into the 2026 season, that has yet to come to fruition. Arroyo has recorded just one catch for 17 yards on one target so far, and he's failed to play more than 15 snaps in either of Seattle's first two contests. Seahawks tight end AJ Barner remains the team's clear TE1, and Arroyo has also struggled to leapfrog blocking specialist Eric Saubert on Seattle's depth chart at the position. If Barner were to suffer an injury at any point this season, Arroyo could finally get his opportunity to shine in Seattle. Until that point, Arroyo should be off the radar of fantasy managers in redraft leagues.

John Bates vs. Elijah Arroyo

Still trying to decide between Bates and Arroyo? 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 2.0 points this week while Elijah Arroyo is projected to score 2.6 points.