Who Should I Start? Matt Gay or Will Reichard

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.

Friday, December 12, 4:12 PM

Despite going up against a struggling Dallas Cowboys defense in Week 15, Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard should be considered an average fantasy kicker option this week. Reichard, the 12th-ranked fantasy kicker, has been mostly reliable despite the Vikings' struggles on offense. He's 22-for-24 on field-goal attempts, which includes eight makes from 50 or more yards. Ironically, Dallas has been one of the poorer matchups for fantasy kickers, but mostly because its defense is having such a hard time getting to fourth down. The Cowboys have allowed 29 passing touchdowns and a 47.8% third-down conversion rate, both the worst marks in the NFL, and they are allowing red-zone touchdowns at the third-highest rate in the league. While Reichard has been consistent, managers may want to consider a stronger option if they're in the fantasy playoffs.