Who Should I Start? Evan McPherson or Jake Bates


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Evan McPherson News

Evan McPherson a Top Fantasy Kicker in Week 17

Saturday, December 27, 11:51 AM

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson made a career-high six field goals in the Week 13 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, he's been relatively quiet in the last three weeks by draining his only attempt during that span. All things considered, the 26-year-old is viewed as a top fantasy option at the position in Week 17, considering the Bengals offense is projected to put up plenty of points against a weak Cardinals defense. As a result, McPherson is a must-start, especially since he has an excellent chance to finish as the week's highest-scoring fantasy kicker.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Jake Bates News

Lions Officially Re-Sign Jake Bates

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.


Evan McPherson vs. Jake Bates

Still trying to decide between McPherson and Bates? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Evan McPherson is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Jake Bates is projected to score 0.0 points.