Who Should I Start? Blake Grupe or Jake Bates

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
6.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Blake Grupe News

Blake Grupe Still Competing for Week 1 Kicking Job

Thursday, September 10, 8:00 AM

New York Jets kicker Blake Grupe still hasn't secured the job for Sunday's opener against Tennessee. Special teams coordinator Chris Banjo said Thursday that Grupe and Jason Sanders remain in competition, according to Zack Rosenblatt. Banjo said he is looking for "confidence and consistency" before making the call. Grupe is currently on the active roster after the Jets claimed him off waivers from Indianapolis on Aug. 31, while Sanders is on the practice squad. Grupe made all 11 of his field-goal attempts over five games with the Colts last season, including a 60-yarder, after going 18-for-26 earlier in the year with New Orleans. Sanders missed all of 2025 with a hip injury but has considerably more NFL experience. For now, fantasy managers looking for a Week 1 kicker should wait for the Jets to actually name one.

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
8.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Jake Bates News

Lions Officially Re-Sign Jake Bates

Wednesday, March 25, 1:35 PM

The Detroit Lions officially announced on Wednesday that they re-signed kicker Jake Bates to an undisclosed deal. Bates was an exclusive-rights free agent. The 27-year-old will return for his third season with the Lions in 2026. The former undrafted free agent out of Arkansas has become one of the more reliable kickers in fantasy football over the last couple of seasons in a Lions offense that should remain formidable in 2026. Last year in 17 games, Bates made 27 of his 34 field-goal tries (4-for-9 from 50-plus yards) and a league-high 54 extra points on 56 tries. He has made 84.1% of his 63 field-goal attempts in his two years in the NFL while succeeding on 95.9% of his 123 extra-point attempts. Bates was the No. 6 fantasy kicker in 2025. It also helps that half of his games come indoors, mitigating his volatility.

Blake Grupe vs. Jake Bates

Still trying to decide between Grupe and Bates? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Blake Grupe is projected to score 6.9 points this week while Jake Bates is projected to score 8.6 points.