Who Should I Start? Anders Carlson or Blake Grupe

Saturday, October 19, 2:22 PM

San Francisco 49ers kicker Anders Carlson will kick off against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in Santa Clara. The younger brother of Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson will be the third kicker used by the 49ers in as many games since Jake Moody (ankle) and Matthew Wright (shoulder, back) both suffered injuries attempting to make tackles. Last season, Carlson spent his rookie year as the Green Bay Packers starting kicker from beginning to end but was cut during this year's preseason. Carlson was the 23rd-most productive kicker in fantasy but led the league in misses with 13. Any decent kicker that San Francisco puts out there is likely a decent fantasy option, given the team's offensive prowess, as seen last week with journeyman Wright's three field goals and three extra points made. Anyone streaming kickers or looking for a replacement could do worse than Carlson in Week 7.

Thursday, October 17, 1:20 AM

New Orleans Saints kicker Blake Grupe made the most of the Week 6 defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Grupe had a perfect day, hitting field goals from 29 and 42 yards out and converting all three of his extra point attempts in the 51-27 loss which resulted in his best fantasy score since Week 1. He is 10-for-10 on field goal attempts in 2024 though he has missed two extra points. The Saints open Week 7 with a Thursday night matchup against the Denver Broncos. The game is expected to be a low-scoring affair given Denver's defensive prowess and lack of firepower on offense. As such, Grupe's upside is limited in a game where scoring chances are expected to be few and far between. Grupe has not done enough this season to separate himself from the pack so fantasy managers should have no qualms about streaming another kicker in Week 7.