Who Should I Start? Blake Grupe or Will Reichard

Saturday, November 16, 3:27 AM

New Orleans Saints kicker Blake Grupe was perfect in Week 10, converting both of his field goal attempts and both extra point tries. He scored the first points of the game against the Falcons with a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter and hit another from 26 yards out in the third quarter. On the season he has missed just one of his 19 field goal attempts and is now 21-for-23 on extra points. Grupe offers a solid floor, rarely straying far from his average 7.5 fantasy points per game. In Week 11, the Saints face the Browns, who have offered little to opposing kickers this season, though that may be because they are allowing teams to reach the end zone more often than they are stopping them short, particularly in close range. Cleveland has only seen five field goals attempted at a distance of 39 yards or fewer. They have also had the good fortune of opponents going 8-for-14 from 40 yards out or more, with just one block to their credit. Grupe is 8-for-9 from that range. Grupe isn't an option to get excited about but a top-12 finish isn't out of the question. He is worth a look for fantasy managers seeking a kicker in Week 11.

Tuesday, November 5, 2:56 PM

Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard (quad) is being placed on Injured Reserve, forcing him to miss at least the next four games. In a corresponding move, the team signed free-agent kicker John Parker Romo. Reichard, a rookie sixth-round pick out of Alabama, was a perfect 14 of 14 on his field goal attempts before missing two kicks in the Sunday Night Football victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Evidently, his injury is somewhat to blame, and he will now be sidelined for the next stretch of games. Romo has not attempted a kick in the NFL, but he made 17 of his 19 field goal tries with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL in 2023.