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
Editor’s note: We’ll count down the top 10 Commanders players on the 2026 roster regardless of position sporadically over the next few weeks. Before we get to it, here’s how we arrived at the ranking: Our Scott Bair, Scott Jennings and Mark Tyler compiled a top 13 – no ranking was identical — with points assigned to each ranking slot from all three lists. We used these point values to form a consensus top 10 ranking. We’ll write a story on each member of the top 10 and another on others receiving votes at the end. Plus, Mark will probably have a Tyler’s Take with his thoughts. You’ll surely object to some of these rankings, though debate is kind of the point with lists like this. Today we focus on No. 9: The Commanders invested heavily in their defense this offseason, but they also added a few weapons on offense for Jayden Daniels to work with. Former Titans TE Chig Okonkwo was one of Washington ’s free agent additions that is expected to play a big role on the team this season, and beyond. Chig has played at least 60% of the offensive snaps and started at least 11 games each of the last three seasons. General manager Adam Peters signed him to a three-year deal worth up to $30 million . This ranking was consistent, with everyone having Chig at the bottom of the Top 10. He joins a team that had Zach Ertz as the No. 1 tight end for the past two seasons, until he tore his ACL last year. Okonkwo is going to get a lot of targets in this offense, with John Bates , Ben Sinnott , and Colson Yankoff behind him on the depth chart. There are also question marks at wide receiver behind Terry McLaurin , and Okonkwo should benefit as a reliable target for Jayden Daniels. The Tennessee Titans took Chig Okonkwo in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft . He had at least 450 receiving yards in each of his four seasons in Tennessee, but he only averaged two touchdowns per season. Okonkwo has great after the catch ability, and despite his smaller size, can truck some defensive backs or make them miss in the open field. Chig moves the chains, with 90 of his 196 receptions resulting in a first down. Receiving Rushing Scrimmage 23 TEN NFL TE 17 8 46 32 450 14.1 3 22 50.0 48 1.9 26.5 69.6 9.8 3 2 0 0 0.0 6 0.7 0.1 0.2 35 12.9 452 3 0 4 24 TEN NFL TE 17 11 77 54 528 9.8 1 25 48.1 39 3.2 31.1 70.1 6.9 2 6 0 1 50.0 4 3.0 0.4 0.1 56 9.5 534 1 0 5 25 TEN NFL TE 17 11 70 52 479 9.2 2 19 55.7 70 3.1 28.2 74.3 6.8 1 17 0 1 100.0 17 17.0 1.0 0.1 53 9.4 496 2 2 4 26 TEN NFL TE 17 12 79 56 560 10.0 2 24 45.6 43 3.3 32.9 70.9 7.1 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 56 10.0 560 2 0 4 Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com : View Original Table Generated 6/7/2026. The Washington Commanders hit the reset button on offense and defense after last season, moving on from both of their coordinators, along with other changes to the coaching staff. Those changes move down to the players as the coaches start to tailor the roster to their new visions for the team. David Blough took over the offense for former OC Kliff Kingsbury, and Chig Okonkwo was the first offensive free agent the Commanders signed this year. He was a player a lot of fans had zeroed in on for Washington, and was a player seen as a solid fit. Chig has already talked about the amount of space Blough’s offense gives a player like him, and he’s excited for the opportunity to work with quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Commanders obviously have big plans for Okonkwo, as they install a new offense with a new coach that they think can get them to the next level. Okonkwo should play a big part in that, with real potential to have a career year in Washington
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