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Kickers!
It is time to talk about everyone’s favorite position, and I am so hyped for it.
Every league approaches kickers differently. Some leagues have teams that draft kickers in the eighth round (if you’re in one of these leagues, don’t panic, just continue to load up on running backs and wide receivers). In some leagues, teams wait until the last two rounds to grab their kicker. Personally, I stream kickers based on their matchup. When looking for the right kicker to start, I usually just go for guys who are going to be locked in high-scoring games. Without any further ado, here are a few kickers I’ll be targeting for the first few weeks of the season.
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Justin Tucker (BAL)
Listen, you probably don’t need me to tell you to draft Justin Tucker, but the Ravens have a pretty golden early-season schedule. They open the year against a Miami defense that ranked 27th in opponent points per game, followed by a game against a Patrick Peterson-less Arizona defense, and then face off against a Chiefs’ defense that couldn’t stop a cold last year. Tucker will probably be the first or second kicker chosen in your drafts, but he is poised to start the year off on a hot streak considering who he’ll be playing the first few weeks. In most leagues, Tucker will probably go before the last two rounds, so I don’t suggest paying up for him because of how replaceable kickers are in fantasy football. If you’re in a (smarter) league that waits to draft kickers, he has as good of a shot as anyone to be the K1 at the end of the year and gets three soft defenses to start the season.
Wil Lutz (NO)
Wil Lutz is the K5 according to FantasyPros’ Expert Consensus Rankings, but I already mentioned Tucker, so I have to give Lutz a shoutout too because he’s in a perfect spot in Week 1 against the Houston Texans. This game has the highest total of any Week 1 contest at 54, and Lutz’s Saints are nine-point favorites. With an implied point total of 31.5, the Saints are going to put points on the board in bunches, and Lutz should have plenty of opportunities to light up the scoreboard in Week 1. Tucker has the edge in season-long leagues, but Lutz might be the best Week 1 option.
Graham Gano (CAR)
As the K17 in FantasyPros’ ECR, Graham Gano might not be available on your league’s waiver wire. However, if he is, he is in a prime spot Week 1 against the Rams. With a total of 51, Vegas is projecting this game to be a shootout. The Panthers are 2.5-point underdogs but still sport an implied team total of 24.8. Gano had an injury-shortened 2018 campaign but finished 13th, eighth, and second in the three years prior. With Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore, and Curtis Samuel, the Panthers’ offense looks potent to start the year, and Gano should get plenty of opportunities to boot the ball through the uprights in Week 1.
Matt Gay (TB)
You’ll have to keep an eye on this one because Matt Gay is currently locked in a battle with Cairo Santos for the Buccaneers’ starting kicker job. Whoever wins will find themselves on one of the NFL’s most underrated offenses playing a San Francisco defense that is already dealing with injury woes in Week 1. Given that the Bucs spent a draft pick on Gay, he is the frontrunner for the job, but don’t put him in your lineup now and forget to check before Week 1.
The Buccaneers are currently 2.5-point favorites over the 49ers in a game with a total of 49. Both of these offenses want to play fast under their offensive-minded head coaches. The Buccaneers look like a source of sneaky good fantasy production, and their kicker is no exception.
Matt Prater (DET)
The Cardinals want to play fast. Kliff Kingsbury’s teams at Texas Tech always played fast. People are excited about the Cardinals’ offense this year for good reason.
But don’t forget: It takes two to tango. The Lions want to establish the run and burn clock, but the Cardinals may force them to play faster than they’d like to in Week 1. Detroit’s offense isn’t exactly a powerhouse, but that was also the case last year when Prater finished as the K9. As a pick-em with a total of 49, Vegas expects this game to be a high-scoring affair, so Prater is a strong option to open the season.
Dan Bailey (MIN)
I know, I know, Dan Bailey was not good last season. No arguments there. One of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, Bailey uncharacteristically only hit four of nine kicks from 40-49 yards and one of two from at least 50 yards out. Still, he’s the only kicker on the Vikings’ depth chart right now, so it doesn’t seem like the team is too concerned with his accuracy. The Vikings open the year against an Atlanta defense that was plagued with injuries last year and finished 26th in points allowed per game. While they should be healthier this year, Vegas still has the Vikings as 4.5-point favorites in a game with a total of 47.5. As the K16 in FantasyPros’ ECR rankings, Bailey might be drafted in some leagues, but he’s a passable Week 1 option if he’s available on the waiver wire.
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