Who Should I Start? Matt Gay or Jake Bates

Saturday, November 8, 5:48 PM

Washington Commanders kicker Matt Gay has been mediocre this season, making 10 of his 14 field goal attempts and nailing all 20 extra points. Gay has struggled from attempts north of 50 yards for his career, and that's continued this season, with three of his four misses coming from attempts 50 yards or longer. The 31-year-old's 71.4% field goal percentage ranks 30th in the league out of 33 qualified kickers, well below the league average of 83.6%. Gay could be a decent option in Week 10 versus the Lions in one of the highest projected games of the week, but Washington's offense also has less juice with starting quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) out for multiple weeks.

Saturday, November 1, 12:09 AM

Through seven games so far in 2025, Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates has made an uninspiring eight out of 11 field goal attempts. However, Bates leads the NFL in both extra-point attempts (27) and makes (27). The Lions are currently averaging over 30 points scored per game, which has given Bates a relatively safe fantasy floor. In Week 9, Detroit will host the Minnesota Vikings. Playing inside the domed Ford Field, Bates will not have to deal with any potential weather concerns. In 12 career games at Ford Field, Bates has scored an average of 8.67 points per contest. He profiles as a must-start fantasy kicker in Week 9 against Minnesota.