Who Should I Start? Ramiz Ahmed or Blake Grupe

Saturday, August 10, 7:37 PM

Washington Commanders kicker Ramiz Ahmed went 1-for-1 on his field goal attempts and 2-for-2 on his extra-point attempts on Saturday afternoon. His field goal attempt came from 40 yards out. This is important to note because Riley Patterson missed his lone field goal try from 39 yards out. Brandon McManus was originally brought in during free agency to serve as the starting kicker in D.C. but was let go in June due to being involved with a civil lawsuit. As a result, this opened up a competition between Ahmed and Patterson, and after the team's first preseason game, Ahmed may be in the lead. Patterson does have more experience in the NFL and has gone 59-for-67 throughout the first four seasons of his career. Ahmed made only one NFL appearance back in 2022 with the Green Bay Packers and moved on to play for the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL last spring. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor this competition as the winner could be fantasy-relevant, especially if rookie Jayden Daniels is able to adjust to the NFL fairly quickly and move the Washington offense downfield on a consistent basis.

Saturday, November 16, 3:27 AM

New Orleans Saints kicker Blake Grupe was perfect in Week 10, converting both of his field goal attempts and both extra point tries. He scored the first points of the game against the Falcons with a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter and hit another from 26 yards out in the third quarter. On the season he has missed just one of his 19 field goal attempts and is now 21-for-23 on extra points. Grupe offers a solid floor, rarely straying far from his average 7.5 fantasy points per game. In Week 11, the Saints face the Browns, who have offered little to opposing kickers this season, though that may be because they are allowing teams to reach the end zone more often than they are stopping them short, particularly in close range. Cleveland has only seen five field goals attempted at a distance of 39 yards or fewer. They have also had the good fortune of opponents going 8-for-14 from 40 yards out or more, with just one block to their credit. Grupe is 8-for-9 from that range. Grupe isn't an option to get excited about but a top-12 finish isn't out of the question. He is worth a look for fantasy managers seeking a kicker in Week 11.