Who Should I Start? Jake Moody or Tyler Loop

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.

Friday, August 29, 12:50 PM

Baltimore Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop has a tall task of replacing seven-time Pro Bowler Justin Tucker, but NFL.com's Bucky Brooks writes that Loop "appears to be well on his way to becoming a household name as a long-distance scorer with unlimited range." Loop made 81.8 percent of his field-goal attempts during the regular season and also made a 61-yarder. He made all eight of his extra-point attempts and heads into his first NFL as a "model of consistency," which is what head coach John Harbaugh expects at the position. The 24-year-old sixth-rounder definitely has the leg to succeed at this level, and in one of the best offenses in the league, he could be on the fantasy radar in 12-team leagues before long, too. Right now, though, RotoBaller has Loop ranked as the No. 19 fantasy kicker with Week 1 just a week away.