Who Should I Start? Ka'imi Fairbairn or Evan McPherson

Friday, September 5, 11:27 PM

Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn and the Texans take on the Rams in Week 1, giving Fairbairn a boost since he's playing indoors at SoFi Stadium. Last year, he connected on 36 field goals in 42 attempts, the second-highest season total in his eight-year career. He set a new career best with an impressive 13 field goals from 50+ yards, with a long of 59 yards. He also added 34 extra points in 36 attempts. The Rams ranked in the middle of the pack against kickers last season, while Fairbairn ranked sixth among kickers in standard scoring. He's also the No. 6 kicker in RotoBaller's rankings for Week 1, making the 31-year-old from UCLA an excellent play in normal formats to start the season.

Saturday, September 6, 2:31 PM

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson appeared to be on his way to becoming one of the league's best at the position. However, McPherson's production has gone in the wrong direction since his rookie year, and he finished the 2024 campaign by making only 72.7% of his attempts, a career-low. He was also limited to 12 games due to injury. The Bengals offense can move down the field quickly, which should give the 26-year-old chances to produce for fantasy managers. Still, until McPherson proves he can be trusted to capitalize on his opportunities, managers may want to consider other kickers for the Week 1 AFC North clash with the Browns.