Who Should I Start? Wil Lutz or Jake Bates

Saturday, November 23, 10:53 AM

Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz is as close to a must-start in fantasy this weekend as he'll be all year as he takes on the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12. The Broncos' offense is peaking right under rookie quarterback Bo Nix after putting up a season-high 38 points in the Week 11 win over the Atlanta Falcons, and the Raiders have allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing kickers. Back in the Week 5 win over Vegas, Lutz converted on both of his field-goal attempts (one from 50-plus yards) and made all four of his extra points. The 30-year-old veteran has missed only three of his 22 field-goal attempts this year, with one being blocked and another coming from over 60 yards out. Lutz's 81 fantasy points on the year rank him as the No. 9 fantasy kicker, and his 22 field-goal attempts are tied for eighth. Lutz is easily a top-10 fantasy kicker heading into Sunday's game against the Raiders.

Saturday, November 23, 11:25 AM

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates aims to maintain his consistent scoring as the team faces the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12. In the Lions' 52-6 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bates converted his sole field goal attempt and all seven extra points. This season, Detroit's offense has been prolific, scoring over 40 points in four of ten games and never falling below 20 points, providing Bates with ample scoring opportunities. He leads the league with 39 extra points made on 40 attempts and remains perfect on field goals, hitting all 15 attempts. Bates has scored at least eight fantasy points in seven games and achieved double-digit points in five, making him a reliable fantasy option heading into the matchup against Indianapolis.