John Bates Fantasy Overview

Commanders TE Zach Ertz is feared to have torn his right ACL in Sunday's loss to the Vikings, HC Dan Quinn said afterward. We should get confirmation of the injury tomorrow. It would end Ertz's season and could put the 35-year-old's career in jeopardy. Ertz's absence will leave Washington's TE room to Ben Sinnott and John Bates. We'll see if Sinnott -- a 2024 second-rounder -- can build any momentum, but we wouldn't bother adding him to fantasy rosters.

The Commanders spent a second-round pick (53rd overall) on TE Ben Sinnott last spring, and then they tossed him just 5 targets across 17 games. He caught them all but managed only 28 yards (5.6 per catch). And Sinnott's lackluster playing time dwindled at the end of the year. He played no more than eight snaps in any of the final six contests, including the three playoff games. There's some 2025 hope for Sinnott with TE Zach Ertz and TE John Bates both set to hit free agency this month. But ESPN's John Keim says he "knows" Washington wants both guys back.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that TE Zach Ertz has agreed to a one-year deal with the Commanders worth "up to" $5 million. We'll be curious to see more specific terms on the contract -- such as whether it even guarantees he'll even break training camp with the team. Ertz managed just 27 catches over six games for the Cardinals last year, coming off a 2022 ACL tear. He failed to reach another active roster after Arizona waived him Nov. 30. (He finished the year on Detroit's practice squad.) Ertz will turn 34 in November and has set career lows in yards per catch each of the past two seasons (8.6, then 6.9). He spent his pre-2023 Arizona time playing under then-HC Kliff Kingsbury, who joined Washington as OC this offseason. We'll see how much that factored into Ertz's signing and what Kingsbury might have planned. The Commanders have room on the TE depth chart after dumping Logan Thomas, with only Cole Turner and John Bates under contract. But the Ertz signing shouldn't exclude them from making any other moves at the position. You can consider Ertz as a third TE late in your best ball drafts, but we wouldn't chase him any earlier than that.

The Commanders released TE Logan Thomas, saving $6.5 million against the 2024 salary cap. Thomas caught 55 balls last year -- 14th among TEs -- but averaged just 9.0 yards per reception on a 6.1-yard average depth of target. We'll see where he lands and how much playing time he claims, but Thomas is a low-upside fantasy asset at this point of his career. The Commanders, meanwhile, are left with TEs Cole Turner, John Bates, and Armani Rogers, who have combined for just 71 NFL catches. The team figures to add to that group in free agency and/or the draft.