Who Should I Start? Wil Lutz or Jake Bates

Friday, December 26, 3:19 PM

Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz put up another reliable performance in the 20-13 win against the Kansas City Chiefs. Lutz went two for two on his field goal attempts and also converted both of his PAT attempts, scoring six points in total on the day. After seeing Lutz miss one short field goal attempt in Week 16 and having zero field goal attempts in Week 15, it was relieving to see him convert his opportunities for a perfect day. The Broncos will be looking to secure the number one seed in the AFC with a win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18, and Lutz will likely be a key part in earning that.

Wednesday, December 24, 10:39 PM

Across 15 games this season, Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates has converted on 22 of 28 field goal attempts and 52 out of 54 extra-point tries. Bates has the benefit of being tied to the Detroit offense, which enters Week 17 ranked second in the NFL in points per game (30.1). However, Bates and the Lions will face one of the league's top scoring defenses in Week 17 when they travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. Over the last three weeks, Minnesota has allowed opponents to score an average of just 13 points per game. In the first matchup between the two NFC North division rivals this season in Week 9, the Lions were held to 24 points, their fourth-lowest mark in a game in 2025. If there's one benefit for Bates, the game will be played indoors, which eliminates any weather concerns for the kicking game. Bates remains a viable starting kicker for fantasy managers in Week 17, but he profiles as a low-end option rather than a must-start player at the position against Minnesota.