Who Should I Start? Matt Gay or Rodrigo Blankenship

Sunday, December 22, 12:00 PM

Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay (neck) is officially active for the Week 16 divisional contest on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Gay missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to his neck injury but returned to a full practice session on Friday and will serve as the starting placekicker this weekend. At best, Gay is a deep-league streaming option in the fantasy playoffs for a Colts offense that has struggled to move the ball consistently all year behind second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. The 30-year-old veteran booter has been solid for the Colts this season, though, making 24 of his 27 field-goal attempts and all 23 of his extra-point opportunities. While Gay has been solid from an efficiency standpoint, his lack of volume on field-goal tries makes him more of a low-upside fantasy kicking option.

Monday, August 21, 6:14 PM

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived kicker Rodrigo Blankenship on Monday. Blankenship lost the kicking battle to Chase McLaughlin in training camp this summer and will now look to latch on with another team before the start of the 2023 regular season. The 26-year-old spent last year with the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals, going 4-for-5 on his field-goal tries and 4-for-5 on extra points in just three total games. As long as Tampa doesn't bring in more competition for McLaughlin to close out the preseason, he should enter Week 1 as the team's starting kicker. McLaughlin, 27, made 83.3 percent of his 36 field-goal attempts and made all 21 of his extra-point tries in 16 games with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. The kicking position in Tampa won't be as exciting in fantasy now that Tom Brady isn't running the offense in 2023.