Who Should I Start? Daniel Carlson or Jake Bates
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Daniel Carlson News
Sunday, August 30, 10:17 AM
New Orleans Saints kicker Daniel Carlson appears set to handle the job entering the regular season, with Charlie Smyth being released Sunday, according to Mike Triplett. Carlson only joined New Orleans on Aug. 24 but made a strong final impression. He hit field goals from 38 and 53 yards in Friday's preseason finale against Dallas, with the 53-yarder providing the winning points in a 27-24 victory. The veteran made 22 of 27 field goals for Las Vegas last season and owns an 86.9% conversion rate over his NFL career. Smyth had handled the job over the final six games of 2025, making 12 of 16 field goals and all 13 of his extra points, but never completely separated from the competition this summer. Tanner Brown was also part of the battle, though Smyth's release leaves Carlson in position to enter Week 1 as New Orleans' kicker.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Jake Bates News
Wednesday, March 25, 1:35 PM
The Detroit Lions officially announced on Wednesday that they re-signed kicker Jake Bates to an undisclosed deal. Bates was an exclusive-rights free agent. The 27-year-old will return for his third season with the Lions in 2026. The former undrafted free agent out of Arkansas has become one of the more reliable kickers in fantasy football over the last couple of seasons in a Lions offense that should remain formidable in 2026. Last year in 17 games, Bates made 27 of his 34 field-goal tries (4-for-9 from 50-plus yards) and a league-high 54 extra points on 56 tries. He has made 84.1% of his 63 field-goal attempts in his two years in the NFL while succeeding on 95.9% of his 123 extra-point attempts. Bates was the No. 6 fantasy kicker in 2025. It also helps that half of his games come indoors, mitigating his volatility.
Daniel Carlson vs. Jake Bates
Still trying to decide between Carlson and Bates? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Daniel Carlson is projected to score 7.0 points this week while Jake Bates is projected to score 8.6 points.
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