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.

Friday, November 14, 6:14 PM

Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden is healthy heading into Week 11 despite suffering a knee contusion last week. Even though he left the game in the third quarter, Gadsden remains one of Justin Herbert's most trusted red-zone options, with 10 targets inside the 20-yard line over the past five games. The matchup this week is excellent, as the Jacksonville Jaguars rank 5th in receptions allowed and are tied for second in touchdowns allowed to tight ends. His combination of size (6'5") and red-zone usage makes Gadsden a reliable play. He is a confident mid-range TE1 with legitimate upside, projected as the TE4 this week.