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

Detroit Lions Kicker Jake Bates will face the Los Angeles Rams at home in Week 1. Bates had a good season in the UFL earlier this year, kicking a 64-yard field goal and two other field goals of 60 or more yards. The 25-year-old had never attempted a field goal in his football career until earlier this year, but he proved during his time in the UFL that he could hang with the best. He signed a two-year deal with the Lions this offseason and could be considered to start just because of how high-scoring this matchup is expected to be. Bates is listed as K18 on RotoBaller's Week 1 Rankings.

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates "had a rotten day [on a Friday in early August], missing at least a half-dozen field goals," according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, who attended training camp that day. (It bears mentioning that he converted his lone attempt in Week 1 of the preseason from 53 yards out.) Bates latched on with the Lions after an impressive run in the UFL, and while he's currently Detroit's only kicker, the team could look to bring in competition or a replacement. As Graziano writes, "It doesn't sound like this was a new problem, and you wonder if the Lions will end up looking elsewhere for their kicker before camp is out." Randy Bullock is the consensus top kicker available in free agency at the moment, but that could change as teams shake up their rosters over the next few weeks.