Who Should I Start? Jake Bates or Cam Little

Saturday, January 4, 9:16 AM

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates should benefit from the competitive, high-scoring nature of Sunday night's Week 18 contest against the Minnesota Vikings. With the NFC's No. 1 seed on the line, Detroit will stay highly competitive and keep its foot on the gas pedal for all 60 minutes. This bodes well for Bates, who has thrived in high-leverage situations all year long and benefits when the Lions put up a lot of points. In his first NFL season, Bates ranks eighth among all kickers in fantasy points. He has made a whopping 60 of 63 extra points, plus 25 of 28 field goals. He does have two missed field goals and two missed extra points over his last three games, but fantasy managers shouldn't have any concerns about his accuracy given his track record and high fantasy points total this season. Bates should be deployed as a top-five kicking option for the final week of the 2024 regular season.

Saturday, January 4, 12:09 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little should have at least a decent outing in the final week of the season against the Indianapolis Colts. The rookie kicker has had a solid season overall and will look to finish his first season strong. Along with many other players on the team, this game is more about auditioning for next season for Little. After a big offensive outburst for the New York Giants last week against the Colts, the Jaguars offense could be in for a similar outing in what is a similarly built offense currently. That could mean plenty of kicking opportunities for Little, who has proven he has the leg and accuracy to be a solid kicker long-term and in fantasy. Little has surprising upside compared to previous weeks in Week 18.