Week 2 of the 2018 NFL season will go down as one of the worst collective performances by kickers in recent history, as seven extra points and 11 field goals were missed on Sunday. For the second consecutive week, Zane Gonzalez failed to come through for the Browns, resulting in his release. Rookie Daniel Carlson failed to make a 35-yard field goal to give the Vikings an overtime win over the Packers at Lambeau Field. He’s also looking for work.
Greg Zuerlein suffered a groin injury in warmups before the game between the Rams and the Cardinals, leaving thousands of fantasy owners out to dry and a big goose egg on their roster. The injury sounds like it could be more than a one-week malaise and the Rams responded by re-signing Sam Ficken while Greg the Leg is on the shelf.
Green Bay veteran kicker Mason Crosby proved to be one of the bright spots on the day with five made field goals in six attempts for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers’ hyper-efficiency in the red zone typically negates Crosby’s value, but the stout Viking defense did an excellent job limiting the Packer offense to just one offensive touchdown on the afternoon.
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Week 2 Stud Performances from widely-available kickers
Randy Bullock (CIN) vs. Baltimore: 1% ownership on Yahoo
Through two weeks the Bengals rank fourth in the league in total points (68) and are ranked 19th in total yards (703). Kickers playing on top-5 scoring defenses typically result in a top-10 ranking, making Bullock an excellent option for those owners struggling to find a viable kicking streamer. Bullock made both of his field goal attempts and all four PATs to finish the week in double figures and could continue to be a great option going forward.
Dustin Hopkins (WAS) vs. Indianapolis: 4% ownership on Yahoo
Alex Smith and Washington’s offense struggled mightily to convert drives into touchdowns against a surprisingly strong Colts defense. The inability for Washington to score in the red zone proved to be fantasy gold for Dustin Hopkins, who converted three of his four attempts for 10 fantasy points.
Ryan Succop (TEN) vs. Houston: 17% ownership on Yahoo
With four field goals in his first two games, including a 50-yard boot Week 1, Ryan Succop continues to produce well as the fantasy community (at least Yahoo players) look the other way. The Titans continue to struggle in the red zone as the 20th ranked offense after two games, and there is little to suggest that Marcus Mariota or Blaine Gabbert will improve their efficiency in their next two matchups against Jacksonville and Philadelphia.
Week 2 Dud Performances from heavily-owned kickers
Harrison Butker (KC) @ Pittsburgh: 81% ownership on Yahoo
Owning a kicker on a top-five offense typically leads to fantasy gold as the high number of PATs provides a solid floor each week, and any field goals made are just gravy. But as has been the case in the past with Mason Crosby, playing on an offense that is historically great at converting drives into touchdowns can be frustrating. This was the case for Butker this week as Pat Mahomes and the high-flying Chiefs scored six touchdowns, leaving Butker with zero field goal attempts and six points.
Jake Elliott (PHI) @ Tampa Bay: 86%
For the second straight week, Elliott gave fantasy owners a dud performance in what appeared to be a good matchup for fantasy kicking success. Although they lost to Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bucs, the Eagles converted all of their drives to the red zone into touchdowns, and Elliott missed his one field goal attempt when he hit the upright on a 42-yard attempt. It may be hard to hold onto Elliott for another week, but the return of Carson Wentz and a home matchup against a Colts defense that is tied with the Rams in red zone defense could be just what the doctor ordered for Elliott to have a big game.
Week 3 Kicker Rankings
| Rank | ECR | Name | TEAM | Opponent | Spread | O/U | OPP RZ D | RZ EFF* | OFF RNK | K Score** | Weather |
| 1 | 1 | Stephen Gostkowski | NE | at DET | -7 | 50 | 5 | 21 | 20 | 46 | Dome |
| 2 | 3 | Justin Tucker | BAL | vs. DEN | -5 | 43 | 12 | 31 | 8 | 51 | 72F, Cloudy, 9MPH Wind |
| 3 | 4 | Matt Bryant | ATL | vs. NO | -3 | 53.5 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 49 | Dome |
| 4 | 5 | Wil Lutz | NO | at ATL | 3 | 53.5 | 27 | 23 | 14 | 64 | Dome |
| 5 | 11 | Matt Prater | DET | vs. NE | 7 | 50 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 32 | Dome |
| 6 | 7 | Chris Boswell | PIT | at TB | -2 | 50 | 29 | 29 | 2 | 60 | 91, 40% chance of rain |
| 7 | 17 | Ka’imi Fairbairn | HOU | vs. NYG | -6 | 42 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 23 | Dome |
| 8 | 21 | Brandon McManus | DEN | at BAL | 5 | 43 | 18 | 19 | 4 | 41 | 72F, Cloudy, 9MPH Wind |
| 9 | 2 | Harrison Butker | KC | vs. SF | -6 | 54.5 | 13 | 30 | 6 | 49 | 69F, Cloudy, light wind |
| 10 | 18 | Dustin Hopkins | WAS | vs. GB | 3 | 47.5 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 28 | 73F, Cloudy, light wind |
| 11 | 6 | Dan Bailey | MIN | vs. BUF | -16 | 40.5 | 30 | 17 | 5 | 52 | Dome |
| 12 | 9 | Mason Crosby | GB | at WAS | 3 | 47.5 | 26 | 2 | 17 | 45 | 73F, Cloudy, light wind |
| 13 | 10 | Robbie Gould | SF | at KC | 6 | 54.5 | 32 | 4 | 21 | 57 | 69F, Cloudy, light wind |
| 14 | 12 | Graham Gano | CAR | vs. CIN | -3 | 44 | 21 | 16 | 16 | 53 | 76F, Mostly Cloudy, light wind |
| 15 | 14 | Adam Vinatieri | IND | at PHI | 7 | 48 | 10 | 22 | 22 | 54 | 73F, Cloudy, 9MPH Wind |
| 16 | 30 | Jason Myers | NYJ | at CLE | 3 | 40 | 17 | 1 | 18 | 36 | 83F, Partly Cloudy, 10 MPH |
| 17 | 24 | Ryan Succop | TEN | at JAC | 6 | 39.5 | 3 | 10 | 25 | 38 | 83F, Partly Cloudy, 6 MPH |
| 18 | 15 | Sam Ficken | LAR | vs. LAC | -7 | 48.5 | 25 | 14 | 7 | 46 | 81F, Sunny, light wind |
| 19 | 16 | Josh Lambo | JAC | vs. TEN | -3 | 39.5 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 28 | 83F, Partly Cloudy, 6 MPH |
| 20 | 27 | Mike Nugent | OAK | at MIA | 4 | 44 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 87F, 10 MPH wind |
| 21 | 19 | Sebastian Janikowski | SEA | vs. DAL | -3 | 42.5 | 9 | 24 | 27 | 60 | 56F, light rain, light wind |
| 22 | 8 | Jake Elliott | PHI | vs. IND | -7 | 48 | 15 | 27 | 24 | 66 | 73F, Cloudy, 9MPH Wind |
| 23 | 13 | Chandler Catanzaro | TB | vs. PIT | 2 | 50 | 28 | 20 | 1 | 49 | 91, 40% chance of rain |
| 24 | 20 | Jason Sanders | MIA | vs. OAK | -4 | 44 | 11 | 6 | 26 | 43 | 87F, 10 MPH wind |
| 25 | 22 | Caleb Sturgis | LAC | at LAR | 7 | 48 | 14 | 28 | 3 | 45 | 81F, Sunny, light wind |
*Red Zone Efficiency is based on the inverse of how well the kicker’s offense does in the red zone. For example, the Ravens rank second in red zone efficiency; therefore Justin Tucker has a RZ EFF score of 31. The lower number, the better for kickers, as playing on a team that struggles to score touchdowns in the red zone equates to more field goal opportunities.
**The K Score is the sum of a player’s opponent red zone, the red zone efficiency of his offense, and the overall rank of his respective team in terms of total yards. A low score indicates that a kicker has variables working in his favor for a good fantasy kicking performance.
Kicker rankings are based on numerous factors, including matchups, Vegas lines and score projections, weather conditions, the ability of a kicker’s team offense and their ability to move the ball into field goal range, offensive red zone efficiency, and how well the opposing defense limits touchdowns in the red zone. These factors are a guide, but not a definitive way to predict kicking success, as other variables and negative game scripts significantly impact the outcome.
Based on all of the variables mentioned above, the following two kickers are players ranked outside of the FantasyPros ECR top 10 who could be excellent plays Week 3.
Matt Prater (DET) vs. New England: 51% ownership on Yahoo
After a lackluster opening week against the Colts, Matt Prater bounced back with 10 fantasy points against the 49ers on Sunday. Vegas projects the game between the Patriots and Lions to be high scoring with an over/under of 50 points. Add in the fact that Detroit boasts a top-12 offense in total yards and the 5th-worst red zone efficiency, and you have a recipe for a monster day for Prater.
Ka’imi Fairbairn (HOU) vs. New York Giants: 4% ownership on Yahoo
Like Prater, Fairbairn is another kicker this week playing on an offense that moves the ball well (13th ranked offense in total yards) but struggles to score touchdowns in the red zone. Although Vegas does not project this game to be as high scoring as the one in Detroit, Fairbairn ticks all the boxes for a big fantasy kicking day, and I always prefer to target streaming kickers playing in a dome. Greg Zuerlein owners looking for a streaming option this week may want to consider Fairbairn in a perfect matchup at home against a Giants team that ranks seventh in defensive red zone efficiency.
Waiver Wired
Jason Myers (NYJ) vs. Cleveland: 2% ownership on Yahoo
Myers is tied for fourth in fantasy points scored through two weeks, yet the fantasy community has yet to buy into him as a viable fantasy kicker based on his single-digit ownership percentage. Through two games Sam Darnold and the Jets offense has been surprisingly good as the 18th ranked offense in total yards, but as is often the case with rookie QBs, Darnold has struggled mightily in the red zone.
Other players to consider:
- Dustin Hopkins (WAS): 4% ownership on Yahoo
- Ka’imi Fairbairn (HOU): 4% ownership on Yahoo
- Graham Gano (CAR): 19% ownership on Yahoo
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Andrew Swanson is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his archive or follow him @FFtoday_Andy.
