Who Should I Start? John Bates or Oronde Gadsden

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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	6.8	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.

Oronde Gadsden - Los Angeles (TE)

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Week 8 Projections

Fant. Pts.	Rush. Yds.	Rush TD	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec TD
4.7	0.1	0.0	1.8	20.0	0.1

Oronde Gadsden News

Oronde Gadsden II Not a TE Streaming Option in Week 8 vs. Rams

Saturday, October 31, 9:24 AM

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II has had a disappointing sophomore season following his impressive rookie year. Gadsden is the PPR TE42 on a points-per-game basis, averaging 4.8 points per game. He's been fantasy-relevant, despite playing with an injury-riddled receiving group in Los Angeles. Gadsden enters Week 8 as RotoBaller's PPR TE32 in a tough matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams defense has allowed the second-lowest yards per pass attempt (6), third-lowest completion percentage (58%), and the fifth-fewest passing yards this season (1,351). With the Chargers' receiver room back to full strength, Gadsden will likely get lost in a crowded offense. As a result, Gadsden should be out of fantasy lineups and is not a viable tight end streaming option in Week 8.

John Bates vs. Oronde Gadsden

Still trying to decide between Bates and Gadsden? 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 Oronde Gadsden is projected to score 4.7 points.