Who Should I Start? Brandon McManus or Jake Bates

Wednesday, November 26, 5:32 PM

Green Bay Packers kicker Brandon McManus matched his best fantasy output of the season in Week 12 and looks to keep that run going when the Packers head to Ford Field to face the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. McManus was successful on all three of his field goal attempts in Week 12 against the Minnesota Vikings, making kicks of 32, 30, and 40 yards. Also booting home both extra point attempts, McManus was K10 on the week and could be on the upswing now from a quad injury that's affected him at times this season. With the Packers heading to Detroit for their Week 13 matchup, McManus is a low-end starter for fantasy purposes.

Wednesday, November 26, 11:08 PM

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates was one of the heroes of his team's Week 12 win over the New York Giants, bending in a 59-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. After a relatively shaky start to the season, Bates has now made six straight field goal attempts over his last three games. He'll have a second straight game in the friendly confines of Ford Field in Week 13 against the Green Bay Packers. For his career, Bates is averaging 8.6 points per game at home, compared to 7.4 on the road. If there's one concern for Bates in Week 13, it's Green Bay's prowess as a scoring defense. The Packers have held three of their last four opponents to 16 points or fewer and held the Lions to 13 points in the first matchup between the two teams this season in Week 1. Still, Bates profiles as a solid starting kicker option for fantasy managers in Week 13.