Who Should I Start? Blake Grupe or Jake Bates

Tuesday, December 2, 5:53 PM

The Indianapolis Colts signed former New Orleans Saints kicker Blake Grupe to their practice squad on Tuesday, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Grupe was recently cut by the Saints, but he'll latch on with another team quickly after impressing the Colts during a workout on Tuesday. The 27-year-old will be replacing Michael Badgley, who was waived on Tuesday after missing his third extra point of the season in Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans. In addition to Grupe, the Colts also worked out kickers Justin Tucker and Maddux Trujillo. Grupe, 27, will be Indy's placekicker this weekend for a crucial divisional battle against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Before getting cut by the Saints, he went 18-for-26 on field goals and 15-for-15 on his extra-point tries in 11 games. Fantasy managers should be looking elsewhere for a more reliable kicking option in Week 14.

Wednesday, December 3, 10:24 PM

Across 12 games this season, Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates has connected on 16 of 20 field goal attempts and converted a league-leading 40 extra-point tries. The 26-year-old has also done some of his best work in recent weeks, knocking in all seven of his field goal attempts over his last four games. In Week 14, Bates and the Lions will host the Dallas Cowboys in a game that appears to have shootout potential. Through 13 weeks, both Detroit and Dallas rank in the top five in points per game among all NFL teams. If both offenses hold to form, there could be plenty of opportunities for Bates to put points on the board. The game will also be played indoors at Detroit's Ford Field, which removes any potential weather concerns. Bates profiles as a must-start fantasy kicker in Week 14.