Jake Bates · Spencer Shrader · 2026 week 8

Jake Bates or Spencer Shrader?

Wondering who you should start this week — Jake Bates or Spencer Shrader? The start/sit call and the numbers behind it are below, plus who wins a straight-up trade. Rebuilt nightly.

Start Spencer Shrader — barelyThis one is a coin flip — the projections are within 0.7 points. The matchup leans Spencer Shrader (JAX allow the 26th-most K points), but you can defend either call.

Player	Wk 8	Proj (PPR)	Matchup	Form L3	Trade value	Status
Jake Bates	vs MIN	8.4	23rd	12.3	–	healthy
Spencer Shrader START	@ JAX	9.1	26th · tough	11	–	healthy

Ks vs MIN recently: Chase McLaughlin 12 pts (W3) · Riley Patterson 4 pts (W4) · Spencer Shrader 3 pts (W7).

Ks vs JAX recently: Evan McPherson 5 pts (W4) · Jake Elliott 6 pts (W5) · Ka'imi Fairbairn 11 pts (W6).

🎓 The coach's read

Projections are 0.7 apart — too close to call on projection alone.
Jake Bates has the higher floor (3.9) — the safer start if you are favoured.
Spencer Shrader has the higher ceiling (15.4) — the play if you need points.
Jake Bates is steady — about 15% less volatile week to week than a typical K projected here — higher floor, lower ceiling.
Jake Bates faces MIN, 23rd most generous to Ks.
Spencer Shrader faces JAX, 26th most generous to Ks.

Who wins a straight-up trade?

Their trade values are effectively even — a one-for-one is a fair swap on the numbers.

Open in Start/Sit (any scoring) Open in the Trade Analyzer

More K decisions

Jake Bates or Harrison Butker?Jake Bates or Ka'imi Fairbairn?Jake Bates or Drew Stevens?Spencer Shrader or Brandon Aubrey?Spencer Shrader or Cam Little?Spencer Shrader or Evan McPherson?

All numbers are the 2026 season, refreshed nightly.