Who Should I Start? Jake Bates or Ryan Fitzgerald


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.


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

Ryan Fitzgerald News

Ryan Fitzgerald is A Viable Deep Kicker Option for Week 10

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 0.0 points this week while Ryan Fitzgerald is projected to score 0.0 points.