Who Should I Start? Evan McPherson or Riley Patterson

Saturday, December 27, 11:51 AM

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson made a career-high six field goals in the Week 13 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, he's been relatively quiet in the last three weeks by draining his only attempt during that span. All things considered, the 26-year-old is viewed as a top fantasy option at the position in Week 17, considering the Bengals offense is projected to put up plenty of points against a weak Cardinals defense. As a result, McPherson is a must-start, especially since he has an excellent chance to finish as the week's highest-scoring fantasy kicker.

Saturday, December 13, 6:51 PM

Miami Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson has been solid but not spectacular this season, while filling in for Jason Sanders (hip), who remains on IR. Patterson has made 23 of his 25 field goal attempts and 28 of his 29 extra point attempts. He didn't have any issues on the road in the cold against the Jets last week, making all four of his kicks. This week, he'll be on the road for a night game in Pittsburgh with very cold temperatures again in the forecast. While it won't be ideal conditions for long field goals, Patterson has been consistent enough from short range to not be a total "must avoid" option, especially since the Steelers have been a top-10 matchup for kickers. Patterson is the No. 19 kicker in RotoBaller's Week 15 rankings, so there are potentially kickers with more upside on the waiver wire in most standard-sized leagues this week.