Who Should I Start? Tyler Higbee or John Bates


Week 3 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
2.3 0.0 0.0 0.9 9.6 0.1

Tyler Higbee News

Tyler Higbee the Latest Rams Tight End to Break Out

Sunday, September 27, 8:25 PM

Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee caught eight of his 11 targets for 62 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 3 loss against the Denver Broncos. This tight end room in Los Angeles remains incredibly unpredictable, as it seems like a different player breaks out each week. Last week, it was Terrance Ferguson, who had six catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Higbee replaced Ferguson as Matthew Stafford's favorite target in the tight end room. It is worth acknowledging that Ferguson did miss a portion of Sunday Night Football while being evaluated for an ankle injury, but he returned to the contest. There's plenty of value to be gained from starting a tight end in this extremely pass-heavy Rams offense, but picking the right one has proven to be an impossible challenge. Higbee is trending up, but he's far from a lock to replicate this performance in Week 4 against the Eagles.


Week 3 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
3.7 0.0 0.0 1.6 14.3 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.


Tyler Higbee vs. John Bates

Still trying to decide between Higbee and Bates? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Tyler Higbee is projected to score 2.3 points this week while John Bates is projected to score 3.7 points.