Who Should I Start? Joey Slye or Joshua Karty

Saturday, September 7, 12:44 AM

New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye should be left on the waiver wire in fantasy football ahead of his Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. There are a variety of reasons why Slye is avoidable, starting with the poor state of the Patriots' offense. New England is projected to finish with the NFL's worst record and might have the worst offense in the league. They will have trouble moving into scoring position this year, leaving Slye with reduced opportunities to attempt kicks. Furthermore, Slye himself has delivered questionable production in the past. He made just 19 of 24 field goals last year and also missed three extra point attempts. If the Patriots don't score many points and Slye can't be trusted to kick field goals, then he should be avoided in fantasy football.

Friday, September 6, 7:07 PM

Los Angeles Rams rookie kicker Joshua Karty will be put to the test early in his career in a hostile environment Sunday night against the Lions. The Stanford rookie, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2024 Draft, figures to be involved heavily in a game that could be a shootout. He should get plenty of opportunities for extra points and field goals if the Rams stall out on a few drives. In a raucous environment, it is hard to predict how the rookie will fare if he is faced with some long field goal attempts. The good news is he will be kicking indoors at Ford Field so he won't have to deal with inclement weather or wind. Karty is likely on the waiver wire in shallow leagues so it might be best to see how he does with his first assignment before deciding whether he should be your fantasy kicker this season.