Evan McPherson started off the season much like most of the skill position players on the Bengals, not living up to expectations while disappointing fantasy managers. He did not post his first double-digit game until Week 7 against the Steelers, while not topping more than five fantasy points in four of his first seven games.
At the time, I wrote about why I could not understand how fantasy managers have not moved away from him to other kickers who had better KScores, like Spencer Shrader (before the injury) and Jason Myers.
Just as good fantasy managers constantly re-evaluate players and monitor emerging trends, I take the same approach when writing my fantasy football articles.
So, I wanted to understand why McPherson has emerged as the third-ranked kicker over the past five weeks, trailing only Jason Myers and Andy Borregales. On the season, the Bengals are 22nd in yards per game and are middle of the pack in red zone efficiency. However, over the past five weeks, they are 7th in yards per game, and they are a bottom-ten team in red zone efficiency.
Will this trend continue with Joe Burrow back under center? Burrow struggled in the red zone in their win over the Ravens, but luckily for Bengals fans and McPherson managers, so did the Ravens, and McPherson benefited with a season-high six made field goals and 24 fantasy points.
Burrow will no doubt improve his red zone efficiency, but this week’s matchup on the road against the Bills looks to be poor weather conditions and a game script that may force the Bengals to score touchdowns instead of field goals.
However, after that, Cincinnati hosts the same Ravens who gave up a half dozen field goals to McPherson in Week 13, and Arizona, a team that has given up the fourth-most field goals on the season in the fantasy Super Bowl.
If you are already in the playoffs and want a kicker who may win your fantasy playoffs, McPherson could be your guy.
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Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings & Start/Sit Advice: Week 14
Widely Available Kickers With Strong Week 13 Performances
Riley Patterson (K – MIA) vs. New Orleans: 3% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
Patterson posted his second consecutive double-digit performance and his sixth of the season with 14 points at home against the Saints. He takes on the Jets in Week 14, a team that ranks second in points allowed to kickers, making Patterson a fringe start to open up the fantasy playoffs.
Nick Folk (K – NYJ) vs. Atlanta: 2% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
Folk has put together a solid fantasy season in 2025, with six games of ten or more points, and he currently ranks in the top-10 in scoring on the season. Not bad for a guy rostered in almost no Yahoo leagues. Like Patterson, I have him as a fringe start this week, assuming the weather at MetLife Stadium cooperates.
Widely Rostered Kickers With Dud Week 13 Performances
Chris Boswell (K – PIT) vs. Buffalo: 92% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
For the second straight week, Boswell is our bust performer of the week after posting just one fantasy point against the Bills in one of the more shocking results of the week. Boswell is the ultimate boom/bust kicker, with five games of under five fantasy points and six over ten. When he is good, he is great, but when he is bad, he really burns fantasy managers.
Kicker Rankings:
| Rank | ECR | Name | TEAM | VS | O/U | Spread | OPP RZ D | RZ EFF* | OFF RNK | Consistency | Weather | K Score** |
| 1 | 10 | Cameron Dicker | LAC | vs. PHI | 40.5 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 27 |
| 2 | 1 | Jason Myers | SEA | at ATL | 43.5 | -7.5 | 13 | 20 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 37.5 |
| 3 | 2 | Brandon Aubrey | DAL | at DET | 54.5 | 3 | 27 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 51 |
| 4 | 4 | Ka’imi Fairbairn | HOU | at KC | 41.5 | 3.5 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 32.5 |
| 5 | 3 | Tyler Loop | BAL | vs. PIT | 43.5 | -5.5 | 10 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 30.5 |
| 6 | 14 | Harrison Butker | KC | vs. HOU | 41.5 | -3.5 | 18 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 45.5 |
| 7 | 9 | Chase McLaughlin | TB | vs. NO | 42.5 | -8.5 | 17 | 7 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 41.5 |
| 8 | 8 | Wil Lutz | DEN | at LV | 40.5 | -7.5 | 22 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 46.5 |
| 9 | 5 | Jake Bates | DET | vs. DAL | 54.5 | -3 | 31 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 59 |
| 10 | 7 | Harrison Mevis | LAR | at ARI | 48.5 | -8.5 | 19 | 28 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 46.5 |
| 11 | 13 | Evan McPherson | CIN | at BUF | 51.5 | 5.5 | 15 | 14 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 62.5 |
| 12 | 20 | Nick Folk | NYJ | vs. MIA | 41.5 | 2.5 | 5 | 12 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 50.5 |
| 13 | 12 | Cam Little | JAC | vs. IND | 47.5 | 1.5 | 9 | 18 | 19 | 3 | 3 | 53.5 |
| 14 | 6 | Chris Boswell | PIT | at BAL | 43.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 27 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 69.5 |
| 15 | 11 | Matt Prater | BUF | vs. CIN | 51.5 | -5.5 | 28 | 21 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 53.5 |
| 16 | 15 | Riley Patterson | MIA | at NYJ | 41.5 | -2.5 | 20 | 7 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 53.5 |
| 17 | 18 | Cairo Santos | CHI | at GB | 44.5 | 6.5 | 21 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 57.5 |
| 18 | 16 | Brandon McManus | GB | vs. CHI | 44.5 | -6.5 | 26 | 29 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 69.5 |
| 19 | 17 | Michael Badgley | IND | at JAC | 47.5 | -1.5 | 23 | 26 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 58.5 |
| 20 | 19 | Will Reichard | MIN | vs. WAS | 43.5 | 1.5 | 25 | 14 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 70.5 |
| 21 | 21 | Jake Moody | WAS | at MIN | 42.5 | -1.5 | 3 | 30 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 51.5 |
| 22 | 22 | Jake Elliott | PHI | at LAC | 40.5 | -3 | 11 | 31 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 68 |
| 23 | 23 | Chad Ryland | ARI | vs. LAR | 48.5 | 8.5 | 2 | 15 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 46.5 |
| 24 | 25 | Joey Slye | TEN | at CLE | 33.5 | 3.5 | 7 | 4 | 32 | 2 | 5 | 53.5 |
| 25 | 26 | Daniel Carlson | LV | vs. DEN | 40.5 | 7.5 | 1 | 10 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 52.5 |
| 26 | 27 | Charlie Smyth | NO | at TB | 42.5 | 8.5 | 30 | 0 | 26 | 3 | 2 | 69.5 |
| 27 | 28 | Andre Szmyt | CLE | vs. TEN | 43.5 | -3.5 | 24 | 12 | 31 | 4 | 5 | 72.5 |
| 28 | 24 | Zane Gonzalez | ATL | vs. SEA | 43.5 | 7.5 | 11 | 24 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 61.5 |
*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 Tyler Loop has a RZ EFF score of 2. 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 in Week 14.
Harrison Butker (K – KC) vs. Houston: 77% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
Look for Butker to bounce back from a dud performance on Thanksgiving with at least eight fantasy points at home against a stout Houston Texans defense. This game looks to be low scoring, and Butker should outperform his ECR of 14.
Nick Folk (K – NYJ) vs. Miami: 2% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
Folk and Patterson are interesting plays this week in what could be a field goal game between the Jets and Dolphins. Look for both kickers to have a floor of a couple field goals, with Folk hitting a couple long tries to put him near 10 fantasy points.
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.
Cairo Santos (K – CHI) @ Philly: 37% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
- ECR Rank: 15
- My Rank: 5
- Week 13 Finish: 14
Three extra points and one field goal left Santos with just six fantasy points on the day and a disappointing result for fantasy managers. The Bears proved more successful in the red zone against one of the better red zone defenses, and their success running the ball with two 100-yard rushers was shocking.
Harrison Mevis (K – LAR) vs. Carolina: 3% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
- ECR Rank: 16
- My Rank: 6
- Week 13 Finish: 22
The Rams scored four times on Sunday in their road loss against the Panthers. Unfortunately, those four scores were just touchdowns and Mevis was not afforded a field goal try. A late fumble by Stafford killed what could have been a better day for the rotund rookie kicker.
Waiver Wired
- Ka’imi Fairbairn (K – HOU) @ KC 65% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
- Wil Lutz (K – DEN) @ Las Vegas: 45% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
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