Who Should I Start? Jake Elliott or Jake Bates

Friday, December 26, 11:24 PM

Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott made all three of his extra points but missed both of his field goal attempts in his most recent performance against the Commanders. This week, Elliott is up against the Bills, who tote an average defense allowing 22.9 points per game to their opponents this season-15th-fewest in the league. This game is chock-full of offensive talent, but even if it does turn into a shootout, Elliott has lost a lot of trust. In the last five weeks he has missed six of his 23 attempts between field goals and extra points. For managers streaming kickers, there are safer options for Week 17.

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.