Who Should I Start? Chris Boswell or Jake Bates

Sunday, October 13, 8:44 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell drilled four field goal attempts and converted on both of his extra-point tries in a 32-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Boswell followed up a quiet showing in Week 5 with his best fantasy performance since Pittsburgh's season opener. He nailed his longest field goal of the day, a 52-yarder, on the Steelers' first possession of the contest and proceeded to hit from 49, 37, and 36 yards out. The 33-year-old is in the midst of a stellar campaign with 16 field goals on 17 attempts and 10 extra points on as many tries. Although he is producing like an every-week fantasy starter, there will likely be more games in which Boswell is limited by Pittsburgh's offense. One such outing could be in Week 7 against a tough New York Jets defense.

Saturday, September 28, 2:01 PM

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates is a perfect 5-for-5 on his field goal attempts so far this season but none have come from more than 35 yards out. He did miss an extra point last week at Arizona. He has a decent matchup in Week 4 against the Seahawks at Ford Field but until he proves himself on a long kick it is tough to trust him as a fantasy kicker option. The Lions have a good offense which would seem to suggest plenty of opportunities for Bates but Dan Campbell's propensity to go for it on 4th-and-short situations can be viewed as a factor limiting Bates' overall upside. Until fantasy managers get more clarity on the long-range ability of Bates as a kicker, it is best to leave him on the waiver wire and take a wait-and-see approach.