Who Should I Start? Matt Gay or Riley Patterson

Saturday, November 29, 4:55 AM

San Francisco 49ers kicker Matt Gay filled in reasonably well for the injured Eddy Pineiro (hamstring) in Week 12. In San Francisco's 20-9 win over the Panthers, Gay converted both of his extra point tries and nailed field goals from 29 and 47 yards out. Pineiro is listed as out on the 49ers' final injury report before their Week 13 showdown with the Cleveland Browns, so Gay will stay on as the team's kicker for at least one more week. Unfortunately, he won't be working in favorable conditions. Sunday's forecast calls for 25 to 35 MPH winds, rain, and snow in Cleveland. Gay will have to be at the top of his game to be of service to San Francisco. Fantasy football managers may want to look elsewhere to fill the kicker slot in their starting lineups for Week 13.

Saturday, December 6, 6:24 AM

Miami Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson has filled in well for Jason Sanders (hip) this season, as Sanders' IR stint has extended through the first 13 weeks of the season. Patterson has made 21 of his 23 field goal attempts overall this season and 24 of his 25 extra point attempts. He converted all four of his field goal chances last week against the Saints and also added an extra point. This week, he'll be in a good matchup against the Jets, but the weather in New York is expected to be very cold. Patterson has not made any field goals from 50+ yards this season, but has consistently converted shorter attempts. The elements will make it tough to make anything from long distance, but he can reliably deliver shorter kicks. He is the No. 14 kicker in RotoBaller's Week 14 rankings, so he isn't a must-start in most leagues, but he isn't a terrible option either.