Daniel Carlson or Eddy Pineiro: Who Should You Start?

Preliminary board

2026 Week 4 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Verdicts sharpen as practice reports land.

Pineiro’s accuracy and stronger standing give him the edge over Carlson

Start Pineiro, but don’t read much into the small projection gap: one drive can swing a kicker’s week, and both have the same attempt outlook. Pineiro’s much stronger consensus standing and standout accuracy support the call, while Carlson’s red-zone chances and dome keep him firmly in play. The main risk is San Francisco finishing drives for touchdowns and trimming Pineiro’s field-goal opportunities.

What flips it: San Francisco starts settling for fewer field goals in the red zone.

AI editor

Daniel Carlson

Daniel Carlson

K21NOvs ATL

Projected Points

Toss-Up· low
Eddy Pineiro

Eddy Pineiro

K6SFvs DEN

Projected Points

Start
ATL@
NOMon, Oct 5, 8:15 PM ETView the game →
DEN@
SFSun, Oct 4, 4:25 PM ETView the game →

Why Daniel Carlson

Toss-Up· low

Veteran placekicker with big-leg range. Established accuracy over a long starting run.

Dome, a 24.0 implied total and -2.5 favorite status support a start, but a K21 consensus rank sits outside the 12-team starting tier.

  • The dome removes weather as a concern, and Carlson’s extra range can keep distant scoring drives in play.
  • New Orleans stalls more often in the red zone, offering Carlson a clearer route to field-goal work.

The call

  • The environment is kicker-friendly. He kicks indoors with no weather risk, his team's implied total is 24.0, and his team is a -2.5 favorite. That supports the 1.8 projected field goals and 2.5 extra points behind an 8.9-point projection.
  • The leg is not in question: 50-plus makes in 4 games and a long of 60. He is the locked-in PK1 with no designation, and the model's start-lean has a real basis.
  • The counterweight is concrete. Consensus has him at K21, well outside the 12 kickers started in this format. His offense stalls in the red zone only 0.7 times per game, over a 3-game sample, which limits extra field-goal chances. His 82% accuracy (22/27) is middling.
  • What tips it: start him if your waiver alternatives rank below him or play outdoors in bad weather. If a kicker ranked inside roughly the top 14 is available, take that option instead.

Why Eddy Pineiro

Start

Starting placekicker. Strong leg with veteran accuracy track record.

Start — K6 by consensus, projects K5 this week: 0.3 red-zone stalls a game, and 9.3 pts projected vs DEN.

  • Pineiro’s standout accuracy makes his case less dependent on getting more attempts.
  • San Francisco’s lower red-zone stall rate is the main drawback: successful drives can end in touchdowns, not field goals.

Latest on Pineiro

Eddy Piñeiro, Kaelon Black Available vs. Dolphins; Inactives for Week 2 #MIAvsSF

Take a look at players who have been ruled out for the San Francisco 49ers Week 2 matchup versus the Miami Dolphins.

49ers.com · Sep 20, 2026
De'Zhaun Stribling OUT, Kaelon Black and Eddy Piñeiro Questionable vs. Dolphins; Injury Report Ahead of #MIAvsSF

The San Francisco 49ers released their latest injury updates headed into the home opener contest against the Miami Dolphins.

49ers.com · Sep 18, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

MetricDaniel CarlsonEddy Pineiro
Projected points
Consensus rankK21K6
Projected FG attempts2.22.2
Red-zone stalls / game0.70.3
Kicking conditionsIndoors, no weather riskCalm forecast at kickoff
Implied total · spread24.0-2.524.5-2.5
Field-goal %81.5%(2025)96.6%(2025)
Depth chartK1K1
Start/Sit record0–0+2 toss-ups1–2

Recent form

Daniel Carlson — last 3 weeks

Week 3vs LV
Week 2vs BAL
Week 1vs DET

Eddy Pineiro — last 3 weeks

Week 3vs ARI
Week 2vs MIA
Week 1vs LAR

Signal breakdown

  • 8.9 vs 9.3 projected PPR pointsEddy Pineiro +
  • Rank 21 vs 6Eddy Pineiro +
  • 2.2 vs 2.2 projected attemptseven
  • 0.7 vs 0.3 red-zone stalls per gameDaniel Carlson +
  • dome vs 6 mph, 88°F, cleareven
  • Implied 24.0 vs 24.5 team pointsEddy Pineiro +
  • No injury designationseven

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