Who Should I Start? Evan McPherson or Jake Moody

Wednesday, December 4, 3:42 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals placed kicker Evan McPherson (groin) on Injured Reserve on Wednesday. It was announced earlier on Wednesday that McPherson would miss some time due to his injury, and now he won't be eligible to return until the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers. With fantasy championship matchups in most leagues coming in Week 17, managers with McPherson on their rosters in redraft leagues can let him go. The Browns worked out and signed former Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns kicker Cade York on Wednesday, and he will be their kicker in Week 14 on Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys. Like the Bengals in 2024, the 25-year-old McPherson was a fantasy disappointment in 12 game, going 16-for-22 on field-goal tries while missing just one of his 38 extra points.

Tuesday, May 27, 1:33 PM

San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody struggled last year after returning from a high-ankle sprain. The former third-rounder changed his approach this offseason from taking three steps before a kick to just two, according to The Athletic's Vic Tafur. Because Moody missed nine of 20 field-goal attempts in the last nine games, forcing the Niners to bring in veteran kicker Greg Joseph to give Moody competition this year. Before getting injured last year, the 25-year-old made 13 of his first 14 field-goal tries before spraining his ankle in a Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals when he tried to make a tackle on a kickoff. He missed the next three games and wasn't the same when he returned. Moody is now fully healthy and likes the way he's kicking the ball this offseason, so he'll be a bounce-back candidate as a starting fantasy kicker in 2025.