Who Should I Start? Jason Sanders or Jake Bates

Thursday, October 16, 12:05 PM

According to Miami Dolphins special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman, the team is uncertain if placekicker Jason Sanders (hip) is close to a return, or if he'll even be available to play in the 2025 campaign. Sanders sustained a hip injury leading up to the start of the regular season, but it appears to be worse than initially thought, as he was expected back after Week 5 but has yet to begin practicing. Considering the team's lack of knowledge regarding his progression and Riley Patterson's excellence working in his stead, it wouldn't be surprising if the 29-year-old didn't kick again until 2026. Fantasy managers can safely drop Sanders if he was being held onto.

Wednesday, November 26, 11:08 PM

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates was one of the heroes of his team's Week 12 win over the New York Giants, bending in a 59-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. After a relatively shaky start to the season, Bates has now made six straight field goal attempts over his last three games. He'll have a second straight game in the friendly confines of Ford Field in Week 13 against the Green Bay Packers. For his career, Bates is averaging 8.6 points per game at home, compared to 7.4 on the road. If there's one concern for Bates in Week 13, it's Green Bay's prowess as a scoring defense. The Packers have held three of their last four opponents to 16 points or fewer and held the Lions to 13 points in the first matchup between the two teams this season in Week 1. Still, Bates profiles as a solid starting kicker option for fantasy managers in Week 13.