ClutchPoints
Week 13 of the NFL and Fantasy Football season is already here as manager brace for the impending fantasy playoffs right around the corner. As fantasy teams in the hunt begin to make their final adjustments, the Kicker position will once again be highlighted through another wild week of football action.
A number of kickers were in the spotlight during Week 12, one of which was Chiefs’ Harrison Butker kicking the game-winner against the Colts in overtime. Lions’ Jake Bates hit from 59 yards to force overtime which his team later won and Jaguars’ Cam Little sealed Jacksonville’s win in overtime against the Cardinals.
Aside from top-ranked options like Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey and Seahawks’ Jason Myers, we’ll take a look a which kickers are worth starting and who can remain on the bench in Week 13.
This Week’s Top-5 Kicker Starts:
Chase McLaughlin, TB (vs. ARI)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have seen a hellish last three weeks in having to face the Patriots, Bills, and Rams all in succession. Aside from an offensive dud last week against the Rams, McLaughlin has remained rather busy with five field attempts (five made) in the previous three games. He’s also scored 12.0 or more fantasy points in four games this season, including a 20-point game in Week 3.
The Bucs’ schedule opens up the next four weeks with games against the Cardinals, Saints, and Panthers. RB Bucky Irving is returning from injury and although Baker Mayfield is dealing with an injury of his own, McLaughlin and this offense should see a ton of opportunities to score some points in the coming weeks.
Jake Bates, DET (vs. GB)
Jake Bates had a massive Week 12 as he hit from 59 yards to force overtime against the New York Giants. The kick was crucial as Detroit went on to win the game and we could see Bates attempting some long field goal tries from the comfort inside of Ford Field on Thanksgiving Day.
With how great this Packers’ defense has been all year, don’t be surprised if the Lions stall on some of their drives. Instead of being aggressive and going for fourth downs, I can see the Lions’ trusting Bates more during this game and cashing-in on his chances to not leave points on the board. Roll with Bates as a solid kicking option for this week.
Matt Prater, BUF (@PIT)
The Buffalo Bills have to be unsatisfied with the last three weeks as they’ve gone 1-2 with losses to Miami and Houston, both games they were favored to win. Josh Allen and his team are bound to come into this game looking to prove a point to themselves and come away with a win, so expect Buffalo to be very aggressive in scoring points.
Through the...
