Who Should I Start? Daniel Carlson or Jake Bates

Saturday, November 15, 6:08 PM

Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson hasn't been able to offer fantasy managers much value over the last few weeks. Over the last three games, Carlson is 1-for-2 on field goal attempts, while making 3-of-4 extra point attempts. The 30-year-old hasn't been great this season, but he also doesn't get a ton of chances. The promising news is that Carlson is heading into a favorable matchup in Week 11. The Raiders will face off against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. The Cowboys have struggled to contain anyone this season, so the Raiders should be able to get into scoring position. Carlson isn't an ideal fantasy option, but he should offer better value than he has the past few weeks.

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.