Who Should I Start? Evan McPherson or Jake Bates

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.

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.