Who Should I Start? Daniel Carlson or Eddy Piñeiro

Friday, October 17, 9:14 PM

Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson draws a challenging matchup in Week 7 versus the Kansas City Chiefs, making him a risky fantasy start. The Chiefs have allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing kickers this season and continue to limit scoring opportunities with one of the league's stingiest defenses. Meanwhile, Geno Smith and the Raiders offense have struggled to sustain drives or finish in scoring position, further capping Carlson's upside. While the veteran remains a very accurate kicker, his lack of opportunity makes him tough to trust in fantasy lineups this week. Managers should consider streaming a kicker from a more favorable offensive environment until the Raiders show more consistency.

Saturday, October 25, 6:33 AM

San Francisco 49ers kicker Eddy Pineiro has evolved from a streaming option into a weekly starter. Pineiro now ranks third among kickers in total fantasy points and is at the top of the leaderboard in fantasy points per game. In San Francisco's 20-10 win over Atlanta last week, Pineiro was good on all four of his kicks. He connected on both extra point attempts as well as his field goal tries, the first from 55 yards out and the second from 43. The 55-yarder was his fifth field goal from 50 or more yards away, tying his previous season-long best, set in 2023. In Week 8, Pineiro runs into the Houston Texans, who have seen opponents make just four field goals on ten attempts. San Francisco has done well at advancing into enemy territory, so even if they struggle against Houston's elite defense, Pineiro should be set up for another good day.