Who Should I Start? Eddy Pineiro or Jake Bates

Friday, January 3, 9:44 PM

Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro hasn't gotten many opportunities to kick field goals the past few weeks. Over the past four games, he has only attempted three field goals. The silver lining for Pineiro is that between Weeks 10 and 13, he made nine of his 11 field goal attempts. In Week 18, the Panthers take on their division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, who have allowed the sixth most fantasy points to opposing kickers, giving some hope for Pineiro in this contest. However, the lack of consistent attempts makes it difficult for fantasy managers to trust Pineiro in this one. The 29-year-old comes in as K27 in the latest RotoBaller kicker rankings for Week 18. There are likely better options at the kicker position for fantasy managers.

Friday, January 17, 1:49 AM

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates has never appeared in an NFL playoff game before, but he already ranks as the No. 1 overall kicker in RotoBaller's Divisional Round fantasy rankings. His highly anticipated performance against the Washington Commanders on Saturday is the result of an impressive regular season in which he scored the seventh-most fantasy points among kickers. He missed just three field-goal attempts, and the Lions' incredibly potent offense put him in position to make a whopping 64 extra points. Also working in his favor is a somewhat favorable matchup against the Commanders, who surrendered two field goals to Chase McLaughlin last week, including one from 50 yards out. All in all, Bates is this week's top fantasy kicker thanks to his accuracy, power, and role on a dominant Lions team.