Who Should I Start? Jake Moody or Riley Patterson

Sunday, August 17, 4:05 AM

Kicker Jake Moody was responsible for nearly all of the 49ers' points in their 22-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. Moody tacked on the extra point for Jeff Wilson Jr.'s touchdown in the second quarter and was 5-for-6 on field goal attempts. The lone miss was from 53 yards out, but the 25-year-old hit from 26, 30, 44, and 50 yards away before capping his day off with a 59-yarder as time expired to put San Francisco over the top. The performance was encouraging, though fantasy managers still don't need to go out of their way to select him in drafts. Last season, Moody was 10-for-20 on kicks beyond 40 yards, and since joining the league in 2023, his 76.3% conversion rate ranks last among kickers with at least 30 field goal attempts in that time. Moody gets one last tune-up before the regular season when the 49ers host the Chargers on August 23.

Wednesday, August 27, 7:51 PM

The Miami Dolphins officially signed free-agent kicker Riley Patterson to their practice squad on Wednesday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Patterson is expected to be elevated to kick against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 of the regular season on Sunday, Sept. 7, in place of the injured Jason Sanders (hip). The Dolphins put Sanders on short-term Injured Reserve on Tuesday, meaning he'll miss at least the first four games of the 2025 season. The 25-year-old Patterson will get a shot to fill in as Miami's kicker until Sanders returns, although he won't really be a starting kicking option in 12-team fantasy leagues. Patterson has already kicked for five different teams in his four NFL seasons and has made 85.1% of his 74 field-goal attempts and 96.5% of his 112 extra-point tries. He's gone just 4-for-9 from 50-plus yards out.