Who Should I Start? Cairo Santos or Anders Carlson

Saturday, November 16, 5:36 AM

Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos is a solid, if somewhat unexciting, fantasy option for Week 11 as he prepares to face the Green Bay Packers. Santos had a reasonably typical performance in his most recent outing, converting his only field goal attempt from 33 yards out. While Santos didn't have a game-changing performance, he remains reliable in accuracy and consistency. This week, there is a significant shake-up in Chicago's offense, as the team fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron just nine games into his tenure. The hope is that the change in leadership will spark a more productive offense, which could result in more scoring opportunities for Santos. Santos should see more chances for field goals and extra points if the Bears' offense improves. While he's still a somewhat average fantasy kicker, the potential for increased usage could make him a slightly more appealing option in Week 11, especially if the coaching change leads to an uptick in overall offensive efficiency.

Monday, November 18, 8:39 PM

The New York Jets signed kicker Anders Carlson to their 53-man active roster on Monday after the Kansas City Chiefs swooped Spencer Shrader off their practice squad last week. In his debut with the Jets in the 28-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Carlson made both of his field-goal attempts (long of 58 yards) and all three of his extra-point tries. The 26-year-old struggled with the Green Bay Packers in his rookie season in 2023, making only 81.8% of his 33 field-goal attempts before the Packers cut him in training camp. Carlson had a two-game stint with the San Francisco 49ers earlier this year while filling in for the injured Jake Moody and made all five of his field-goal opportunities while missing one of his four extra points. At best, Carlson will be a deep-league streaming option in fantasy with Greg Zuerlein (knee) still on Injured Reserve.