Jake Bates's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates has never appeared in an NFL playoff game before, but he already ranks as the No. 1 overall kicker in RotoBaller's Divisional Round fantasy rankings. His highly anticipated performance against the Washington Commanders on Saturday is the result of an impressive regular season in which he scored the seventh-most fantasy points among kickers. He missed just three field-goal attempts, and the Lions' incredibly potent offense put him in position to make a whopping 64 extra points. Also working in his favor is a somewhat favorable matchup against the Commanders, who surrendered two field goals to Chase McLaughlin last week, including one from 50 yards out. All in all, Bates is this week's top fantasy kicker thanks to his accuracy, power, and role on a dominant Lions team.

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates should benefit from the competitive, high-scoring nature of Sunday night's Week 18 contest against the Minnesota Vikings. With the NFC's No. 1 seed on the line, Detroit will stay highly competitive and keep its foot on the gas pedal for all 60 minutes. This bodes well for Bates, who has thrived in high-leverage situations all year long and benefits when the Lions put up a lot of points. In his first NFL season, Bates ranks eighth among all kickers in fantasy points. He has made a whopping 60 of 63 extra points, plus 25 of 28 field goals. He does have two missed field goals and two missed extra points over his last three games, but fantasy managers shouldn't have any concerns about his accuracy given his track record and high fantasy points total this season. Bates should be deployed as a top-five kicking option for the final week of the 2024 regular season.

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates went 2-for-2 on field goals and 2-for-4 on extra points during Monday's Week 17 win over the San Francisco 49ers. His two field goals came from 42 and 57 yards out. In the shorter kicking game, Bates missed one extra point attempt and had another blocked. The 25-year-old has been terrific in his first NFL season, ranking seventh among kickers in fantasy football. In the primetime victory, he set a Lions single-season franchise record for points scored (135). He'll remain a top fantasy option heading into next week's pivotal matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.