Who Should I Start? Matt Gay or Riley Patterson

Tuesday, April 29, 1:08 PM

Veteran free-agent kicker Matt Gay signed a one-year deal worth over $4.25 million fully guaranteed with the Washington Commanders on Tuesday, according to his agents. It's the most fully guaranteed money for a kicker on a one-year deal in NFL history. Gay can earn up to $5 million with reachable incentives in 2025 in D.C. In a corresponding move, the Commanders are releasing kicker Zane Gonzalez. In a Commanders offense that ranked fifth in the NFL in points per game (28.5), Gay should immediately be in play as a lower-end fantasy kicking option for the 2025 season. The 31-year-old booter went 31-for-37 (83.8%) on his field-goal tries in 16 games with the Indianapolis Colts last year, but he made just three of nine attempts from 50-plus yards out. He was a perfect 33-for-33 on extra points and has made 85.5% of his 193 career field-goal attempts in six years in the NFL.

Saturday, January 4, 9:52 PM

Atlanta Falcons kicker Riley Patterson is a solid fantasy option this weekend in his team's divisional clash with the visiting Carolina Panthers. The 25-year-old has been fine since taking over the Falcons kicking job for an injured Younghoe Koo (hip). In four appearances this season, Patterson has been automatic on his 11 XP attempts but has missed a field goal try in each of his last two games. He'll get a dream outing in Week 18 against a Panthers defense that's allowed the most points per game in the league (31) and the most fantasy points per game to the kicking position (10.5). The Falcons bolster a 28-point implied point total for the contest, so the Memphis product projects to be afforded a few chances to get on the board against one of the league's worst defenses. Patterson ranks as RotoBaller's K10 ahead of this weekend's slate of action.