Who Should I Start? Cairo Santos or Jake Elliott

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.

Thursday, September 4, 12:26 PM

Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott gets his season underway on Thursday in a division rivalry matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. In two meetings against Dallas last season, Elliott was perfect from the spot, making all four of his field goal attempts and going nine-for-nine on extra points. He did struggle on attempts from beyond 50 yards in 2024, making just one out of seven tries, but was one of the best in the league from 40-49 yards, going eight-of-nine from that range. The Cowboys also let up the second most points per game last season (27.5), and with Philly's high-powered offense it seems likely they'll put a good amount of points on the board. Elliott should be a starting kicker in fantasy lineups for Week 1.