Who Should I Start? Anders Carlson or Jake Bates

Monday, December 30, 9:21 PM

New York Jets kicker Anders Carlson has been waived by the organization on Monday. This doesn't come as a huge surprise given Greg Zuerlein (knee) was activated from the injured reserve over the weekend. Carlson was decent during his five games with the Jets. He connected on 8-of-10 field goals and missed two extra point attempts during his time in New York. The 26-year-old has decent potential, so we'll see if another team decides to scoop him up. Otherwise, Carlson will remain with Jets on their practice squad if he clears waivers.

Friday, January 17, 1:49 AM

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates has never appeared in an NFL playoff game before, but he already ranks as the No. 1 overall kicker in RotoBaller's Divisional Round fantasy rankings. His highly anticipated performance against the Washington Commanders on Saturday is the result of an impressive regular season in which he scored the seventh-most fantasy points among kickers. He missed just three field-goal attempts, and the Lions' incredibly potent offense put him in position to make a whopping 64 extra points. Also working in his favor is a somewhat favorable matchup against the Commanders, who surrendered two field goals to Chase McLaughlin last week, including one from 50 yards out. All in all, Bates is this week's top fantasy kicker thanks to his accuracy, power, and role on a dominant Lions team.