Who Should I Start? Riley Patterson or Jake Bates
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Riley Patterson News
Thursday, March 12, 9:04 AM
The Miami Dolphins announced on Thursday that they re-signed kicker Riley Patterson to an undisclosed deal. The Dolphins moved on from Jason Sanders, who missed the entire 2025 season due to injury, and also signed former Atlanta Falcons kicker Zane Gonzalez earlier this week. The 26-year-old Patterson filled in nicely for Sanders last year, making 27 of his 29 field-goal attempts and 34 of his 35 extra-point opportunities over 17 games. However, because of Miami's inconsistent offense, he finished as just the No. 16 kicker in overall fantasy points. Given how well Patterson kicked in 2025, he should be considered the favorite for placekicking duties in Miami over Gonzalez going into the 2026 regular season this fall. In his five years in the NFL, Patterson has made 87.4% of his 103 field-goal attempts, including going 7-for-13 from 50-plus yards out. If he wins the starting job this summer, Patterson will be a low-end starting kicker in deeper fantasy leagues.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Jake Bates News
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.
Riley Patterson vs. Jake Bates
Still trying to decide between Patterson and Bates? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Riley Patterson is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Jake Bates is projected to score 0.0 points.
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