Who Should I Start? Graham Gano or Kaimi Fairbairn

Monday, November 6, 8:01 PM

New York Giants kicker Graham Gano (knee) needs surgery for a left-knee injury and is likely out for the rest of the season. The Giants officially placed him on Injured Reserve on Saturday. Veteran Randy Bullock was signed and eventually elevated to the active roster, but he didn't have a single kicking opportunity in the 30-6 Week 9 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The G-Men also added Cade York last week, but he was inactive on Sunday. In eight games for the Giants this year before his knee injury, the 36-year-old Gano made 11 of his 17 field-goal attempts and made all eight of his extra-point tries. Bullock and York could continue to compete for the starting kicking job on game days on Sundays, but fantasy managers should avoid the situation entirely.

Wednesday, March 6, 2:35 PM

The Houston Texans re-signed kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn to a three-year, $15.9 million deal on Wednesday, according to a source. Fairbairn's average annual value of $5.3 million makes him the fourth-highest paid kicker in the league on a yearly basis. The 30-year-old kicked in a career-low 12 games in 2023 due to injury, but he was solid when he was active, making 96.4 percent of his 28 field-goal attempts while missing just one of his 22 extra-point tries during the regular season. All seven of his NFL seasons have come with the Texans, and he's made 87.1 percent of his 201 field-goal attempts in that time. With young quarterback C.J. Stroud leading what should be an explosive Houston offense for years to come, Fairbairn's fantasy needle is pointing up heading into 2024.