Who Should I Start? Greg Joseph or Jake Bates

Wednesday, July 23, 9:58 PM

San Francisco 49ers kickers Jake Moody and Greg Joseph appear to be in a legitimate competition for the starting gig this fall. The two kickers are off to a strong start as they combined to go 8-for-8 on kicks during Wednesday's practice. They also both managed to knock down kicks from around 55 yards. Moody was selected 99th overall by the 49ers in 2023, but experienced a sophomore slump last season. He missed 10 field goal attempts and one extra point, which prompted the 49ers to bring in some competition. Joseph is a veteran kicker who has been around the league quite a bit. Last season, he knocked down 16-of-20 field goal attempts in eight games between three teams. Whoever wins this job should be worth rostering in fantasy leagues because it'll probably be a high-volume job.

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.