Who Should I Start? Ramiz Ahmed or Jake Bates

Saturday, August 10, 7:37 PM

Washington Commanders kicker Ramiz Ahmed went 1-for-1 on his field goal attempts and 2-for-2 on his extra-point attempts on Saturday afternoon. His field goal attempt came from 40 yards out. This is important to note because Riley Patterson missed his lone field goal try from 39 yards out. Brandon McManus was originally brought in during free agency to serve as the starting kicker in D.C. but was let go in June due to being involved with a civil lawsuit. As a result, this opened up a competition between Ahmed and Patterson, and after the team's first preseason game, Ahmed may be in the lead. Patterson does have more experience in the NFL and has gone 59-for-67 throughout the first four seasons of his career. Ahmed made only one NFL appearance back in 2022 with the Green Bay Packers and moved on to play for the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL last spring. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor this competition as the winner could be fantasy-relevant, especially if rookie Jayden Daniels is able to adjust to the NFL fairly quickly and move the Washington offense downfield on a consistent basis.

Sunday, November 17, 9:12 PM

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates delivered another strong performance in Week 11, converting his lone field goal attempt and all seven extra points in a 52-6 win over the Jaguars. Bates remains perfect on field goals this season, going 15-for-15, while leading the league with 39 extra points on 40 attempts. His consistent production continues to shine as part of Detroit's high-powered offense. Heading into Sunday night, Bates ranks as the K3 for the week and has scored 12 or more fantasy points in four of his last six games. He remains a reliable fantasy starter heading into Week 12 against the Indianapolis Colts.