What to do with Patriots kicker Mike Nugent in Week 5 fantasy football

Who knew start/sit advice would come to the kicker position with such a fury. Streaming kickers is a regular strategy for a majority of teams in fantasy football leagues, and Week 5 brought a bit of a curve ball.

The New England Patriots unexpectedly placed kicker Stephen Gostkowski on injured reserve on Wednesday, leaving them without a kicker. After multiple tryouts, the team decided to sign Mike Nugent as Gostkowski’s replacement. Nugent had not played since injury ended his 2018 season in Week 3, but has been a steady presence for going on 14 years now.

Fantasy football analysis, New England Patriots kicker Mike Nugent

Gostkowski has regularly been one of the first kickers off the board in fantasy football drafts for those who prefer a single, stable presence. Patriots kicker is always a solid fantasy option, but it’s worth noting that this weekend brings a matchup where the decision might run counter to logic.

The Patriots will score a ton of points against Washington because Washington stinks. You’re guaranteed a decent chunk of extra points. The big question is how many field goals will Nugent attempt? Washington’s defense looked talented but has been a mess of late. Can they actually manage to bend but not break and force the Patriots into some field goal attempts?

There’s probably no need to overthink this, and just start Nugent and move on. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if he got limited field goal opportunities in Week 5.

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