Who Should I Start? Dustin Hopkins or Evan McPherson

Thursday, January 11, 3:00 PM

Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins (hamstring) has officially been ruled out for Saturday's wild-card playoff game against the Houston Texans after missing practice all week. Hopkins will miss his third straight game due to his hamstring injury. Riley Patterson, who has served as Cleveland's kicker the last two games with Hopkins out, will likely be elevated from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster for Saturday's playoff contest. The 24-year-old was the Detroit Lions' primary kicker for 13 games this year before getting cut and latching on with the Browns. In 15 total games between both teams this year, he's gone 16-for-18 on field-goal tries and has miss three of his 44 extra-point attempts. Fantasy managers should be looking for better options at the position on wild-card weekend.

Sunday, September 10, 10:02 PM

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson nailed a 42-yard field goal during the loss to Cleveland on Sunday. However, he missed his following try on the next series. In all fairness, McPherson was the only person who put points on the board for the struggling Bengals offense, and the weather conditions weren't ideal, either. While the 24-year-old seemed to take a step backward last season, he's still one of the best kickers in the NFL. Fantasy managers should keep him starting in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens.