Who Should I Start? Cairo Santos or Eddy Piñeiro

Friday, September 12, 11:29 PM

Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos had a rough start to his 12th NFL season. He connected on three extra points but went just 1-of-2 on field goals, missing a crucial 50-yarder that ultimately proved to be the difference in the loss to the Minnesota Vikings. To make matters worse, on the final kickoff, the Bears needed Santos to boot the ball out of the end zone, but his short kick was returned and forced the clock to run down to the two-minute warning. Frustration with Santos' kicking strength appears to be growing in Chicago, as the team signed former 49ers kicker Jake Moody to the practice squad ahead of Week 2. With the Bears traveling to Detroit, Santos enters the week ranked as K23 and should be considered unstartable in fantasy. This could be a make-or-break week for his job security.

Saturday, September 13, 2:00 PM

San Francisco 49ers kicker Eddy Pineiro revealed that he had offers from at least two teams before signing with the Niners this past week. Pineiro acknowledged that he chose the 49ers over an offer from the Atlanta Falcons. While the veteran kicker did not explain his reasoning for the decision, it's likely because he was offered a 53-man roster spot with San Francisco, whereas Atlanta merely wanted to add him to the practice squad as competition for Younghoee Koo. The Falcons pivoted to John Parker Romo, who will now add some pressure on Koo going forward. As for Pineiro, the veteran kicker will be active for his 49ers debut on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. He owns an impressive 88.1 percent success rate on field goals through his five years in the NFL, which includes stints with the Bears, Jets, and Panthers. Pineiro has top-12 kicker upside in fantasy football, but scoring opportunities could be a little harder to come by with Brock Purdy (shoulder), George Kittle (hamstring), and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) sidelined. On the other hand, Mac Jones' drives may stall just over midfield, creating more long field goal opportunities for Pineiro. He's a solid streaming option in leagues with 12+ teams.