Who Should I Start? Cairo Santos or Chris Boswell

Saturday, September 6, 4:36 PM

Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos will open his 12th NFL season on Monday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings. Santos has been a steady presence in Chicago, connecting on over 90% of his field goals in three of the last five seasons. This year brings optimism for the Bears' offense with head coach Ben Johnson and second-year quarterback Caleb Williams at the helm. However, Johnson's track record in Detroit suggests he could favor fourth-down aggressiveness over settling for field goals, which would impact Santos' opportunities. Week 1 presents a tough draw against a Vikings defense that allowed the fifth-fewest points in 2024. Given the matchup and the uncertainty around how the new-look Bears offense will operate, Santos is best left out of fantasy lineups this week.

Friday, September 5, 8:11 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell will hope to build upon a stellar 2024 campaign when he opens the season against the New York Jets in Week 1. While there isn't expected to be an abundance of points scored in Sunday's contest, it's worth noting that New York surrendered the third-most fantasy points to opposing kickers last year. If Pittsburgh's offense struggles to finish drives in quarterback Aaron Rodgers' debut, Boswell could be called upon early and often. It's not the most appealing spot to start a kicker, but fantasy managers could do much worse than Boswell in Week 1.