Who Should I Start? John Bates or Sam Roush
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 7.4 | 0.1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 4.5 | 0.0 |
Sam Roush News
Friday, April 24, 5:38 PM
The Chicago Bears have selected Stanford tight end prospect Sam Roush with the 69th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He joins a relatively crowded tight end room that already features 2025 first-rounder Colston Loveland and veteran Cole Kmet. There's still a fit for Roush here, as he's more of a blocker while the Bears' returning tight ends excel as pass catchers. With that being said, he did get more involved as a receiver during his final season at school, catching 49 passes for 545 yards and two touchdowns. He excelled most in pass blocking, where he posted a 68.8 PFF grade. With Loveland and Kmet presumably ahead of Roush on the depth chart, it might be a little while before the Stanford product makes a consistent fantasy impact. He entered the draft outside the top 85 tight ends in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings, and he figures to remain an afterthought in fantasy football because of the landing spot.
John Bates vs. Sam Roush
Still trying to decide between Bates and Roush? 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 1.9 points this week while Sam Roush is projected to score 1.1 points.
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