Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates is a perfect 5-for-5 on his field goal attempts so far this season but none have come from more than 35 yards out. He did miss an extra point last week at Arizona. He has a decent matchup in Week 4 against the Seahawks at Ford Field but until he proves himself on a long kick it is tough to trust him as a fantasy kicker option. The Lions have a good offense which would seem to suggest plenty of opportunities for Bates but Dan Campbell's propensity to go for it on 4th-and-short situations can be viewed as a factor limiting Bates' overall upside. Until fantasy managers get more clarity on the long-range ability of Bates as a kicker, it is best to leave him on the waiver wire and take a wait-and-see approach.
Sep 28, 2024 2:01 PM EST
Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates has hovered around the middle of the pack for kickers so far after two weeks. In the Lions' Week 2 loss, Bates converted on all three of his field goals and his lone extra point. So far, he hasn't missed a field goal or extra point through two games, but he hasn't attempted a field goal longer than 35 yards. The Lions' offense is good enough to move the ball down the field to get into Bates' range, but their aggressive play calling has seen more touchdown-or-bust type of plays rather than settling for field goals. Bates looks to be a mid-level option heading into Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals while having one of the higher-rated matchups according to RotoBaller's matchup tool.
Sep 20, 2024 9:44 AM EST
Detroit Lions Kicker Jake Bates will face the Los Angeles Rams at home in Week 1. Bates had a good season in the UFL earlier this year, kicking a 64-yard field goal and two other field goals of 60 or more yards. The 25-year-old had never attempted a field goal in his football career until earlier this year, but he proved during his time in the UFL that he could hang with the best. He signed a two-year deal with the Lions this offseason and could be considered to start just because of how high-scoring this matchup is expected to be. Bates is listed as K18 on RotoBaller's Week 1 Rankings.
Sep 8, 2024 1:07 AM EST
Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates "had a rotten day [on a Friday in early August], missing at least a half-dozen field goals," according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, who attended training camp that day. (It bears mentioning that he converted his lone attempt in Week 1 of the preseason from 53 yards out.) Bates latched on with the Lions after an impressive run in the UFL, and while he's currently Detroit's only kicker, the team could look to bring in competition or a replacement. As Graziano writes, "It doesn't sound like this was a new problem, and you wonder if the Lions will end up looking elsewhere for their kicker before camp is out." Randy Bullock is the consensus top kicker available in free agency at the moment, but that could change as teams shake up their rosters over the next few weeks.
Aug 11, 2024 9:14 AM EST
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