Who Should I Start? John Bates or Oronde Gadsden

Friday, January 24, 6:03 PM

Washington Commanders tight ends John Bates (shoulder) and Ben Sinnott (shoulder) were both removed from Friday's final injury report and will be available on Sunday for the NFC Championship against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. Zach Ertz (rib) will also be active after practicing in full on Thursday and Friday, so neither Bates nor Sinnott are realistic DFS options for fantasy managers this weekend. The 27-year-old Bates has played through a shoulder injury in both postseason games but has only one catch on three targets for 20 yards to show for it. He had eight grabs on 13 targets for 84 yards and no scores in 17 regular-season games (six starts). Sinnott, meanwhile, has not even been targeted in two playoff games and caught all five of his targets for 28 yards and one touchdown in his first 17 NFL games during the regular season.

Monday, October 27, 10:21 AM

Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden has been one of the breakout stars at his position in recent weeks. Over his last three games, Gadsden has recorded 19 catches for 309 yards and two touchdowns on 22 targets. The 22-year-old appears to be a trusted weapon in Los Angeles, as he's played at least 75% of the team's offensive snaps in three straight weeks. If there's any reason for concern with Gadsden, it's the target competition he faces. The Chargers have three wide receivers in Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, and Quentin Johnston who are all candidates to soak up targets. Still, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert currently leads the NFL in pass attempts (296), so it's possible there's enough target volume to support all four players. Gadsden could continue to emerge as a must-start tight end over the second half of the season.