There is a new four-letter F-word in Tampa Bay after Nick Folk missed three field goals on Thursday Night Football, including a 31-yard shanked chip shot that had a closer resemblance to my 5-year-old hitting a ball than a professional kicker attempting an easy field goal.
Folk will be out on the street on Monday and the Bucs will be in the market for their third kicker in two seasons. On the opposite side of the spectrum, rookie Harrison Butker (no spell check, I do not mean Butler), made all five field goal attempts and three extra points on Sunday Night Football against the Texans. The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket will be a hot waiver wire addition this week with the Chiefs hosting the Steelers Week 6. Butker’s confidence is high and the Chiefs continue to give him ample opportunities to score points, making Butker an excellent streamer this week.
Here are a few other kickers that are excellent streaming/bye week options.
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Dustin Hopkins (WAS) vs. San Francisco (10% Ownership in Yahoo Leagues)
Despite his low ownership percentage, Hopkins has been a reliable fantasy kicker with an average of nine fantasy points in each of his last three games. Fresh off a bye week, the Redskins host a 49er team that has allowed the most points to opposing kickers this season. Washington will be able to move the ball with relative ease against the 49ers, while the surprisingly stout Redskin defense will likely provide Hopkins with excellent field position throughout the game. It would not surprise me if Hopkins finishes the week as the No. 1 kicker in fantasy and he is available in 90% of leagues.
Phil Dawson (ARI) vs. Tampa Bay (13% Ownership in Yahoo Leagues)
I do not have the same comfort level in projecting a massive game for Dawson, but his home matchup against the Tampa Bay Bucs should not be ignored. Dawson is the Jekel/Hyde of the streaming kicking universe, as he either posts double-digit games or kicks you in the crotch with a performance below five points. In the games in which he does well, the common denominators are indoor matchups against subpar defensive units. His Week 6 tilt against the Bucs checks off both boxes, making him a viable play on Sunday.
Ka’imi Fairbairn (HOU) vs. Cleveland (28% Ownership in Yahoo Leagues)
A negative game script against the Chiefs killed Fairbairn’s value last night, burning those fantasy owners who opted to start him as a stream Week 5. A home get-well game against the Browns should provide a much more favorable game script for Fairbairn and the Texans.
Nick Novak (LAC) @ Oakland (1% ownership in Yahoo Leagues)
The Younghoe Koo experiment lasted just four games, with the Chargers returning to veteran Nick Novak. Novak made nearly 85% of his kicks in his four seasons with the Chargers, including 18 of 20 attempts (90%) in 2012. The 37-year old vet may not have the leg to make a 60-yard attempt, but you could do a lot worse than a guy who has made 175 field goals in ten seasons in the NFL. It should also be noted that the Chargers are taking on a pitiful Raider defense that has allowed the third-most points to opposing kickers.
Red Flag Alert
Chris Boswell (PIT) @ Kansas City (57% Ownership on Yahoo)
Targeting kickers on potent offenses that struggle to score touchdowns is a great strategy, but it backfires when the offense is so terrible that they cannot move the ball and commit excessive turnovers like the Steelers. I’m not sure this will change Week 6 with a tough road matchup at Arrowhead against the Chiefs.
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Andrew Swanson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his archive or follow him @FantasyProsAndy.
