Who Should I Start? John Bates or James Mitchell
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
John Bates News
Wednesday, December 24, 10:23 AM
Washington Commanders tight end John Bates was outsnapped 37 to 27 by second-year tight end Ben Sinnott in last week's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Bates has served as Washington's No. 2 TE for most of the season, primarily as a blocker. He posted his highest route share (50%) of the season in Week 15 with Zach Ertz (knee) out for the season, but that mark cratered in Week 16, falling to just 16%, his lowest since Week 2. Sinnott profiles as the better receiving option and is seeing his role increase in that area. He jumped to a season-high 56% route share last week. Bates seems to be trending back toward his typical role as the top blocking tight end and shouldn't be considered a fantasy option on Christmas Day against the Dallas Cowboys, especially considering Washington's starting QB is likely to be Josh Johnson with Marcus Mariota (hand, quadriceps) injured.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
James Mitchell News
Wednesday, March 11, 9:28 AM
The Carolina Panthers re-signed tight end James Mitchell to an undisclosed one-year deal on Wednesday, a league source told Joseph Person of The Athletic. Mitchell was a restricted free agent. Mitchell will return to Carolina for a second season in 2026 after catching all three of his targets for 28 yards in just five games played a year ago. The 26-year-old was drafted in the fifth round (177th overall) by the Detroit Lions in 2022 out of Virginia Tech. In his first three years in the league in Detroit, Mitchell had 13 receptions on 13 targets for 141 yards and one touchdown in 29 games played (one start). He is not anywhere close to fantasy relevance in Carolina and will serve in a depth role at TE once again behind the likes of Ja'Tavion Sanders, Tommy Tremble, and Mitchell Evans.
John Bates vs. James Mitchell
Still trying to decide between Bates and Mitchell? 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 0.0 points this week while James Mitchell is projected to score 0.0 points.
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