Andrew Swanson | Tue, Dec 9th 2025, 2:05pm EST

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

Sebastian Junger wrote The Perfect Storm about the rare 1991 North Atlantic weather event where a nor’easter, a high-pressure system, and the remnants of Hurricane Grace collided to create an unusually powerful and destructive storm. The story later became a critically acclaimed film and box-office success starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg.

The same idea applies when predicting kicker success. Multiple variables go into identifying when a kicker is poised for a breakout performance—these are the components that make up the KScore each week in my fantasy rankings.

Each factor slightly increases the probability of a strong fantasy outing on its own. But when all of those variables peak at the same time, aligning at their most favorable levels, we get what I call a perfect storm for fantasy.

Based on my research, we may have a perfect storm this week for Brandon Aubrey.

He is at home in a dome.
The Vikings have the third-best red zone defense,
The Cowboys have a below-average red zone offense.
He has a near-perfect consistency score.
The Cowboys’ Defense is playing much better and will limit J.J. McCarthy.
He has the strongest leg in the league and will likely have multiple long-range opportunities.

When you add all these variables, you have the ideal situation for a player like Aubrey to be a playoff-winning asset for fantasy managers.

He did it last week with 23 fantasy points against the Lions. I would not be surprised to see him put up another 20-point game this week against the Vikings.

Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings & Start/Sit Advice: Week 15

Week 14 Stud Performances From Widely Rostered Kickers

Riley Patterson (K – MIA) vs. New Orleans: 3% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

With 13 fantasy points against the Jets, Patterson now has three consecutive games of double-digit fantasy points and 38 points combined in his last three games. On paper, his game this week against a Steelers team that gives up the 7th-most points to opposing kickers appears to be a good one, but kicking conditions in Pittsburgh can be rough, making him a questionable play in the fantasy playoffs.

Zane Gonzalez (K – ATL) vs. Seattle: 2% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

You do not often see a kicker on the short end of a 37-9 blowout loss post double-digit fantasy points, but that was the case this week with Gonzalez. He also missed a 50-yard try that would have made him a top-5 play.

Week 14 Dud Performances From Widely Rostered Kickers

Harrison Butker (K – KC) vs. Houston: 72% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

As someone I picked to do well this week, it pains me to write that Butker was a bust this week against the Texans. The logic proved sound, with a low combined score and a close game, but Butker missed a 40-yard try that proved to be a big swing in the game and for fantasy managers.

Kicker Rankings:

Rank	ECR	Name	TEAM	VS	O/U	Spread	OPP RZ D	RZ EFF*	OFF RNK	Consistency	Weather	K Score**
1	1	Brandon Aubrey	DAL	vs. MIN	47.5	-6.5	3	17	1	0	0	14.5
2	7	Ka’imi Fairbairn	HOU	vs. ARI	42.5	-9.5	21	1	20	0	0	32.5
3	10	Cameron Dicker	LAC	at KC	44.5	4.5	10	7	11	1	3	36.5
4	2	Jason Myers	SEA	vs. IND	43.5	-10.5	11	26	9	3	2	40.5
5	4	Chase McLaughlin	TB	vs. ATL	44.5	-5.5	12	7	22	3	2	40.5
6	3	Wil Lutz	DEN	vs. GB	41.5	2.5	18	19	10	3	2	54.5
7	20	Cairo Santos	CHI	vs. CLE	39.5	-7.5	16	13	5	3	4	33.5
8	6	Jake Bates	DET	at LAR	53.5	5.5	2	29	3	3	0	42.5
9	18	Harrison Butker	KC	vs. LAC	44.5	-4.5	8	22	7	3	4	39.5
10	11	Andy Borregales	NE	vs. BUF	49.5	1.5	20	8	8	2	3	42.5
11	5	Tyler Loop	BAL	at CIN	51.5	-2.5	28	2	19	2	4	52.5
12	8	Harrison Mevis	LAR	vs. DET	53.5	-5.5	23	29	4	3	0	53.5
13	15	Brandon McManus	GB	at DEN	41.5	-2.5	1	30	13	5	2	48.5
14	9	Evan McPherson	CIN	vs. BAL	51.5	2.5	9	15	21	3	3	53.5
15	12	Matt Prater	BUF	at NE	43.5	-1.5	32	23	2	3	3	61.5
16	13	Cam Little	JAC	vs. NYJ	41.5	-11.5	25	20	17	3	1	54.5
17	14	Chris Boswell	PIT	vs. MIA	42.5	-3.5	5	25	27	3	3	59.5
18	17	Eddy Pineiro	SF	vs. TEN	44.5	-12.5	26	24	12	2	2	53.5
19	19	Riley Patterson	MIA	at PIT	42.5	3.5	7	11	25	2	3	51.5
20	21	Jake Elliott	PHI	vs. LV	38.5	-12.5	21	31	24	5	3	71.5
21	22	Jake Moody	WAS	at NYG	47.5	2.5	29	27	18	4	3	83.5
22	26	Charlie Smyth	NO	vs. CAR	39.5	2.5	13	0	26	3	0	44.5
23	28	Ryan Fitzgerald	CAR	at NO	39.5	-2.5	15	7	23	4	0	46.5
24	23	Nick Folk	NYJ	at JAC	41.5	11.5	19	4	28	0	1	63.5
25	24	Blake Grupe	IND	at SEA	43.5	10.5	6	26	6	5	2	55.5
26	33	Younghoe Koo	NYG	vs. WAS	47.5	-2.5	27	3	14	4	3	48.5
27	25	Zane Gonzalez	ATL	at TB	44.5	5.5	30	15	16	3	2	71.5
28	27	Chad Ryland	ARI	at HOU	42.5	9.5	17	12	15	4	0	57.5
29	30	Joey Slye	TEN	at SF	44.5	12.5	14	10	32	2	2	72.5
30	16	Will Reichard	MIN	at DAL	47.5	6.5	31	18	29	2	0	86.5
31	31	Daniel Carlson	LV	at PHI	38.5	12.5	4	9	31	4	3	63.5
32	32	Andre Szmyt	CLE	at CHI	39.5	7.5	24	16	30	4	4	85.5

*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, as well as 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 15.

Cairo Santos (K – CHI) vs. Cleveland: 23% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

Santos at home against a Browns team that has given up the 9th most points to opposing kickers looks like a solid chance for Santos to cash in on his 33.5 Kscore. If you are not feeling good about your kicker in the playoffs, Santos may be your guy.

Brandon McManus (K – GB) @ Denver: 17% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

McManus has been a volatile kicker all season and not a consistent fantasy asset. With that said, I do like this matchup on the road against the Broncos, and who knows, maybe a kicker revenge game in the playoffs is just what the doctor ordered.

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.

Harrison Butker (K -KC) vs. Houston: 72% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

ECR Rank: 14
My Rank: 6
Week 14 Finish: 25

Butker’s inaccuracy bit me in the butt this week when he doinked a kick off the right upright before the end of the first half. That five point swing and change in the game script hurt his value and made him a bust this past week.

Nick Folk (K – NYJ) vs. Miami: 3% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

ECR Rank: 20
My Rank: 12
Week 14 Finish: 24

Folk made his lone try and extra point, but he disappointed with only four fantasy points. I mentioned that I thought there would be kicker value in this game, but it turned out that only Riley Patterson was the player with value.

Waiver Wired

Ka’imi Fairbairn (K – HOU) vs. Arizona 65% roster percentage on Yahoo
Eddie Pineiro (SF) vs. Tennessee: 8% roster percentage on Yahoo

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