Who Should I Start? Jake Bates or Ryan Fitzgerald
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Jake Bates News
Wednesday, March 4, 3:20 PM
The Detroit Lions tendered a contract to exclusive-rights free-agent kicker Jake Bates, ensuring that he returns for the 2026 season, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Bates has gotten off to a nice start to his NFL career in two seasons with Detroit, making 84.1% of his 63 field-goal attempts while making 118 of his 123 extra-point tries in 34 games played. The 27-year-old Arkansas product has led the NFL in extra-point attempts and extra-point makes in each of the last two years while playing in one of the best offenses in the league. In 2025, he went 27-for-34 on field goals (4-for-9 from 50-plus yards) and 54-for-56 on extra points in 17 games played to finish as the No. 6 fantasy kicker in overall points. The Lions will have a new offensive coordinator in 2026, but they should still have a favorable offense, making Bates a clear top-10 fantasy target at the kicking position.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Ryan Fitzgerald News
Saturday, November 8, 1:34 AM
Ryan Fitzgerald is a viable fill-in option if a deeper one is needed for Week 10. In last week's game against the Green Bay Packers, the Carolina kicker nailed his only field goal attempt and was 1-for-2 on extra point attempts. The rookie kicker has recorded an average of 7.2 fantasy points this season while hitting all of his field goal attempts in four of the last five weeks. Over the last four weeks, the Saints have allowed 10 points per game to the kicker position, which ranks 28th of all teams. New Orleans has also given up an average of 27 points to opposing teams, which is tied for 24th-most in the league this season. The matchup appears to be favorable for Fitzgerald, and while he is ranked just 18th at kicker by RotoBaller for Week 10, he could provide adequate fantasy totals.
Jake Bates vs. Ryan Fitzgerald
Still trying to decide between Bates and Fitzgerald? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jake Bates is projected to score 8.6 points this week while Ryan Fitzgerald is projected to score 8.1 points.
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