Who Should I Start? Chad Ryland or Jake Bates

Saturday, December 27, 12:21 AM

Arizona Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland is coming off his best fantasy performance of the year. The 26-year-old went four for six with a made extra point attempt during Week 16's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. When the Cardinals' offense struggled to score touchdowns, Ryland stepped up to put points on the board. Ryland was able to show off his leg, making two 50-plus-yard field goals. Entering Week 17, Ryland and the Cardinals will face the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals' defense has struggled at times this year to stop offenses from moving the ball downfield. If the Cardinals' offense gets into a rhythm early, Ryland could find himself in field goal range quite consistently. Fantasy managers can insert Ryland into lineups as a viable streaming option in Week 17.

Wednesday, December 24, 10:39 PM

Across 15 games this season, Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates has converted on 22 of 28 field goal attempts and 52 out of 54 extra-point tries. Bates has the benefit of being tied to the Detroit offense, which enters Week 17 ranked second in the NFL in points per game (30.1). However, Bates and the Lions will face one of the league's top scoring defenses in Week 17 when they travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. Over the last three weeks, Minnesota has allowed opponents to score an average of just 13 points per game. In the first matchup between the two NFC North division rivals this season in Week 9, the Lions were held to 24 points, their fourth-lowest mark in a game in 2025. If there's one benefit for Bates, the game will be played indoors, which eliminates any weather concerns for the kicking game. Bates remains a viable starting kicker for fantasy managers in Week 17, but he profiles as a low-end option rather than a must-start player at the position against Minnesota.