Phil Dawson’s 17-point performance against the Jags on Sunday is a prime example of the unpredictable nature of fantasy football. The 42-year-old veteran, who kicked his first NFL field goal when Bill Clinton was in office, nailed a career-long 57-yard field goal to give the Arizona Cardinals an upset 27-24 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 57-yard kick was the fourth field goal on the day for Dawson, giving the 6% of Yahoo owners who started him the second-highest total on the day behind only Greg Zuerlein. Prior to the game, the Jags allowed the fifth-fewest points to opposing kickers, and our ECR rankings had him as the 24th ranked player of the week.
It was only Dawson’s third double-digit performance and first since October 1, proving once again that predicting the outcome of real-life games is an inexact science, and sometimes players can have monster games when we least expect it. Owners unhappy with the performance of their kicker may want to consider playing one of the following streaming options for Week 13. These players may not deliver a Dawson-like 17-point game, but they all have the chance to finish as a top-12 play for the week.
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Dan Bailey vs. Washington (23% Owned on Yahoo)
Bailey returned from a groin injury last week only to spend the entire time on the bench, as the Cowboys did not attempt a field goal against the Chargers on Thanksgiving. It was a disappointing day all around for a Dallas offense that continues to struggle without running back Ezekiel Elliott, while the Cowboy defense struggles to stop anyone on offense with Sean Lee out with a leg injury. I anticipate the Cowboys offense will find more success moving the ball against a Redskins team that ranks 20th in total defense and allows the 11th-most points to opposing kickers.
Stephen Hauschka vs. New England (32% Owned on Yahoo)
Fantasy owners jumped ship on Hauschka after a few down weeks followed by the disastrous move by head coach Sean McDermott of replacing Tyrod Taylor with Nate Peterman against the Chargers. Now that Taylor is back as the starter and with the offense appearing to be back on track, Hauschka is a top-12 kicker readily available in most leagues.
Hauschka’s home matchup against the Patriots could present a negative game script in which he is phased out by a lopsided score. However, if the Bills can keep the game close, this could be a monster game for the Buffalo kicker.
Cairo Santos vs. San Francisco (6% Owned on Yahoo)
With a playoff berth on the line, fantasy owners may not feel comfortable making a change for a kicker like Cairo Santos, as the Bears offense has been dreadful this season under rookie Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears rank 30th in fantasy points scored by kickers, just ahead of the Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns. But for those owners in need of a home run play at kicker, especially in DFS, Santos at home against the lowly 49ers is an excellent matchup.
Red Flag Alert
Harrison Butker vs. NYJ (80% ownership on Yahoo)
Butker’s fantasy value has taken a dive over the last three weeks as the Kansas City offense continues to scuffle. With a surprisingly robust NY Jets defense next in line for the Chiefs, Butker is in line for another single-digit day.
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Andrew Swanson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his archive or follow him @FantasyProsAndy.
