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, 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.