Who Should I Start? Jason Sanders or Daniel Carlson

Tuesday, August 26, 5:18 PM

The Miami Dolphins placed kicker Jason Sanders (hip) on the Injured Reserve on Tuesday due to a hip injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. It means that Sanders will be forced to miss at least the first four games of the 2025 season. It was announced on Monday that Sanders would miss four to five weeks, so his placement on the short-term IR isn't a huge surprise. Fantasy managers should obviously be avoiding the 29-year-old kicker in all leagues to begin the season. It's unclear who will kick for the Dolphins in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Sept. 7, but whoever it is will merely be a deep-league streaming option in fantasy. Miami did work out kicker Eddy Pineiro on Tuesday. Sanders has spent all seven of his NFL seasons with the Dolphins and has made 84.6% of his 221 field-goal attempts over 116 games played.

Friday, September 5, 8:03 PM

Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson enters the 2025 season in the middle tier of fantasy options after two straight years of declining accuracy. Once considered one of the league's most reliable legs, Carlson now finds himself tied to an offense that remains more potential than production. His Week 1 matchup against the Patriots does little to boost his outlook, as New England's defense should keep scoring opportunities limited. Until the Raiders prove they can sustain drives and finish possessions consistently, Carlson is best left on the waiver wire. For now, he's a low-end streaming option without dependable week-to-week fantasy value.