Adam Vinatieri’s 2019 season has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs, missed extra points, and game-winning field goals. After a home loss to the Raiders, the veteran hall of fame kicker told reporters he would hold a press conference the following Monday, presumably so he could announce his retirement. Instead, head coach Frank Reich came out and reiterated the team’s confidence in Vinatieri and their commitment to him as their place kicker.

Sunday’s win over the Broncos proved to be a microcosm of Vinatieri’s season, with a missed extra point and a missed short field goal sandwiched between two 50-yard kicks, including a game-winner in the closing minute. Although he finished the week with 12 points and a top-3 finish, owning and playing Vinatieri is not for the faint of heart.

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Week 8 Stud Performances from widely available kickers

Cody Parkey (TEN) vs. TB: 1% ownership on Yahoo
The notorious double-doink former Bears kicker finished the week tied for second with 12 fantasy points against the Bucs. Now that Ryan Tannehill is running the offense instead of Marcus Mariota, the team should present Parkey with some streaming value in certain matchups. This week’s game on the road against the Panthers is not one of those instances.

Chris Boswell (PIT) vs. Miami: 19% ownership on Yahoo
Boswell has quietly been a reliable fantasy kicker in 2019, with five games of at least nine fantasy points. He appears to have moved past the yips that plagued him last season. Boswell ranks 6th in the league in field goal percentage (93%), and he is a perfect 15 for 15 in extra-point attempts. The Mason Rudolph-led offense hurt’s Boswell’s K Score as the 28th ranked offense in yards per game, but they make up for it as one of the worst red-zone offenses over the past five weeks.

Dan Bailey (MIN) vs. Washington: 32% ownership on Yahoo
Bailey is nowhere near his old self as an automatic kicker for the Cowboys of a few years ago, but he continues to be an excellent streaming kicker and should be an excellent option this week against the Chiefs. With three games of 12 or more fantasy points and four of five or fewer, Bailey is the epitome of a boom or bust play. I think he booms this week and should have a high floor in what projects to be a high scoring game against KC.

Week 8 Dud Performances from heavily-owned kickers

Greg Zuerlein (LAR) vs. Cincinnati: 100% ownership on Yahoo
Six points for most kickers is not a dud performance. Six points for Greg the Leg, the best fantasy kicker over the past three seasons, is undoubtedly a dud if you ask his fantasy owners. Game flow and strong red-zone play by the offense limited Zuerlein to one field goal and three extra points. No need to worry here, he will once again be a top-five play when he returns from his bye against the Steelers Week 10.

Harrison Butker (KC) vs. Green Bay: 98% ownership on Yahoo
Butker is one of three fantasy kickers of 97% ownership or higher who scored six or fewer fantasy points this past week. Like Greg Zuerlein and Will Lutz, his lackluster performance was a result of game flow and not a concern about the offense or other variables in his K Score. The fantasy community has him ranked out of the top 12 this week due to the assumption Patrick Mahomes does not play against the Vikings. Assuming Mahomes does come back, Butker would be a top-five play this week.

Kicker Rankings

*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 an excellent play Week 9.

Zane Gonzalez (ARI) vs. San Francisco: 46% Ownership on Yahoo
I have been preaching since Week 1 that Zane Gonzalez is this year’s Ka’imi Fairbairn. Those owners who read this column and added Gonzo have benefitted from nine or more fantasy points in all but one week this season. Gonzo once again has a choice K Score matchup this week at home against the second-best red-zone defense in the league.

Harrison Butker (KC) vs. Minnesota: 98% ownership on Yahoo
The fantasy community has Butker ranked outside the top 12 this week based on the narrative that Patrick Mahomes does not play. Even without Mahomes, the Chiefs should move the ball well enough to give Butker a few field goal opportunities. If Mahomes plays, Butker should be a top-5 play.

Prediction Review

Each week I suggest two kickers ranked outside the FantasyPros ECR top 10 who I believe will be solid performers based on the variables described in the K Score section. The following is a review of my picks from the previous week to see where I was successful and where I missed the mark.

Joey Slye (CAR) @ San Francisco: 42% ownership on Yahoo
ECR Rank: 18
My Rank: 7
Week 8 Finish: tied 23
Slye’s K Score of 40 from last week indicated an above-average chance of him producing seven or more fantasy points against the 49ers. Slye did make his one field goal opportunity for four fantasy points, but a negative game score created by a lopsided offensive explosion for the Niners killed Slye’s value as the team had to go for two chancing points.

Josh Lambo (JAX) vs. NY Jets: 68% Ownership on Yahoo
ECR Rank: 13
My Rank: 5
Week 8 Finish: 5
If I told you that the No. 8 wide receiver, quarterback, or running back on the season is available in nearly 40% of Yahoo leagues, chances are you would run to go pick him up. Yet for some reason, Josh Lambo, one of the most consistent fantasy kickers with five games of at least nine fantasy points, is available in 40% of leagues, and he continues to be an afterthought in the fantasy community. Lambo came through with 11 fantasy points last week against the Jets to finish as the No.5 kicker in fantasy and will likely do the same this week against Houston.

Waiver Wired

Top Add

Zane Gonzalez (ARI): 46% ownership on Yahoo
Will Lutz owners looking for a bye-week fill-in should consider Zane Gonzalez against the 49ers. There is the worry that the 49ers will blow out the Cardinals with their potent run game, but I anticipate Arizona will be able to move the ball somewhat in the air against San Francisco, and Gonzo will get a few field goal chances.

Other players to consider:

Josh Lambo (JAX) vs. Houston: 68% 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.