In 1992, Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson won the Pro Football Writers Association Rookie of the Year and placed third in AP Rookie of the Year, making him the only kicker in NFL history to earn ROY honors.

If you compare Hanson’s season to Brandon Aubrey‘s, the first-year kicker for the Cowboys blows Hanson out of the water with a perfect 30 for 30 on field goals, including a ridiculous eight for eight on kicks of 50 yards or greater.

Aubrey set another NFL record this week by becoming the first player to make two field goals of 59 yards or longer in a game.

While I don’t think Aubrey will come close to beating out C.J. Stroud, Puka Nacua or any other skill-position rookie, he is having a historic start to his career, and he would get my vote if given the opportunity.

In other kicker-related news, Justin Tucker is back atop the all-time list that was temporarily occupied by Younghoe Koo. Koo missed a pair of 50-yard tries on Sunday against the Buccaneers, dropping his career percentage down to 89.091%. Those two misses dropped Koo down to third place, behind Tucker at 90% and Harrison Butker at 89.474%.

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Fantasy Football Week 15 Kicker Rankings & Start/Sit Advice (2023)

(Rostership percentages courtesy of Yahoo!)

Week 14 Strong Performances From Widely-Available Kickers:

Greg Zuerlein (NYJ) vs. Houston: 7% Rostered

With 17 points on Sunday in a surprisingly lopsided win over the playoff-contending Texans, “Greg the Leg” jumped back into the top-three finishers on the week. Before you go and add him to your roster, keep in mind it was only his fifth game of 10 or more points, and he has three gooses on his ledger.

Lucas Havrisik (LAR) @ Baltimore: 0% Rostered

In another surprising outcome, the Rams nearly beat the Ravens in a shootout on the road. Lucas Harvrisik posted his second 10-point game in as many weeks and could be a sneaky play at home against the lowly Commanders this week. Keep an eye on his status before playing him, as the Rams signed veteran Mason Crosby to their practice squad.

Week 14 Dud Performances From Heavily-Rostered Kickers

Cameron Dicker (LAC) vs. Denver: 64% Rostered

It was another dud for Cameron Dicker in Week 14, as the Broncos knocked out Justin Herbert with a finger injury and proceeded to embarrass Brandon Staley and the Chargers. I would not trust Dicker as my playoff kicker going forward, and neither should you.

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 30th in red zone efficiency; therefore, Justin Tucker has a RZ EFF score of 2. The lower the 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’s 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.

Contrarian Kicker Plays

Based on the variables outlined above, the following two kickers are players ranked outside of the FantasyPros ECR top 10 who could be excellent plays in Week 15.

Brandon McManus (JAX) vs. Baltimore | 45% Rostered

Brandon McManus boasts a K Score of 34 in a home game against the Ravens. Wind could be an issue here, but if sustained winds stay below 15 MPH, I like McManus in this matchup to finish as a top-12 play.

Riley Patterson (DET) vs. Denver | 53% Rostered

I’m betting on the under this week, as the Broncos’ defense has been stout lately, and the Lions’ offense has been struggling. Also, in a week where wind could negatively affect some games, I like Patterson at home in the dome.

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.

Chase McLaughlin (TB) @ Atlanta: 2% Rostered

• ECR Rank: 17
• My Rank: 8
• Week 14 Finish: 5

As expected, Chase McLaughlin garnered a couple of field goal tries and three extra points to finish with 11 points on the day and a top-five finish. The Falcons’ defense has played better than some people may think and limited teams to field goals at a surprising rate. I also liked McLaughlin in a week where too many teams were dealing with high winds and rain.

Ka’imi Fairbairn (HOU) @ NY Jets: 1% Rostered

• ECR Rank: 30
• My Rank: 12
• Week 14 Finish: NA

The Texans did not activate Ka’imi Fairbairn before this game.

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