Who Should I Start? Joey Slye or Jake Bates


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
8.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Joey Slye News

Titans Bringing Back Joey Slye on a One-Year Deal

Wednesday, March 11, 7:22 AM

The Tennessee Titans are re-signing kicker Joey Slye to an undisclosed one-year deal on Wednesday, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Slye will return to Nashville after going 28-for-35 on his field-goal attempts (9-for-14 from 50-plus yards) and 26-for-27 on his extra-point opportunities in 16 games last year. The 29-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech was mostly off the fantasy radar in 2025 in an inconsistent Titans offense led by rookie quarterback Cameron Ward. Slye finished as the No. 20 fantasy kicker in terms of overall fantasy points. For his career, Slye has made only 81.4% of his 215 field-goal attempts for six different teams over the course of seven seasons. The Titans' offense could make some improvements in Ward's second season under a new coaching staff, but fantasy managers should have higher-ceiling options to choose from this fall.


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

Lions Tender a Contract to Kicker Jake Bates

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.


Joey Slye vs. Jake Bates

Still trying to decide between Slye and Bates? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Joey Slye is projected to score 8.8 points this week while Jake Bates is projected to score 8.6 points.