Who Should I Start? Riley Patterson or Blake Grupe

Friday, November 8, 12:50 PM

The New York Jets have signed free-agent kicker Anders Carlson to the practice squad and waived kicker Riley Patterson, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Patterson made his New York Jets debut last Thursday against the Houston Texans as No. 1 option Greg Zuerlein (knee) was on Injured Reserve. In that game, Patterson went a perfect 3-for-3 on extra points and did not attempt any field goals. The Jets will now likely turn to Carlson to serve as the starting kicker this weekend when they face the Arizona Cardinals. Carlson spent time in San Francisco earlier this season and went 5-for-5 on field-goal attempts and 3-for-4 on extra points. Fantasy managers in deeper formats could consider Carlson as a streaming option, as the Jets may have ample scoring opportunities this weekend against the Cardinals.

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.