Who Should I Start? Brett Maher or Matt Gay

Monday, January 1, 7:38 PM

The Los Angeles Rams are signing veteran kicker Brett Maher on Monday after waiving rookie Lucas Havrisik earlier in the day. Maher began the year as the Rams' kicker and played in the first seven weeks before getting cut on Oct. 24, going 17-for-23 (73.9 percent) on his field-goal opportunities and 12-for-13 with his extra points. Havrisik was cut by the Rams on Monday after missing two of his four extra points in a one-point win over the New York Giants on Sunday. LA just has been unable to settle on a kicker all season, but Maher will hope to come back in and be more successful than he was earlier in the year as the team gets ready for another playoff appearance. In the Week 18 regular season finale against the San Francisco 49ers with key starters potentially being rested, Maher should be avoided for fantasy lineups.

Tuesday, April 29, 1:08 PM

Veteran free-agent kicker Matt Gay signed a one-year deal worth over $4.25 million fully guaranteed with the Washington Commanders on Tuesday, according to his agents. It's the most fully guaranteed money for a kicker on a one-year deal in NFL history. Gay can earn up to $5 million with reachable incentives in 2025 in D.C. In a corresponding move, the Commanders are releasing kicker Zane Gonzalez. In a Commanders offense that ranked fifth in the NFL in points per game (28.5), Gay should immediately be in play as a lower-end fantasy kicking option for the 2025 season. The 31-year-old booter went 31-for-37 (83.8%) on his field-goal tries in 16 games with the Indianapolis Colts last year, but he made just three of nine attempts from 50-plus yards out. He was a perfect 33-for-33 on extra points and has made 85.5% of his 193 career field-goal attempts in six years in the NFL.