Kickers often find themselves in the middle of intense debate in fantasy football. So if your league has a spot in the lineup designated for K, this article will be beneficial!
Awareness of kickers with a huge leg, frequent opportunities, and consistency from any range is crucial. For example, if your lineup is performing poorly, but your kicker converts three field goals and a couple of extra point attempts, that’s the equivalent of a double-digit PPR outing. This kicking production can counter a dud performance from a skilled position player or keep your lineup in contention during a high-scoring matchup.
Let’s find out which kickers are worthy of targeting at the end of fantasy drafts.
Chris Boswell (K – PIT)
The Pittsburgh Steelers rewarded Chris Boswell with a four-year, $20.5 million contract extension after a highly productive 2021 season. The 31-year-old kicker has played all seven years in the league with the Steelers and had a career year during Ben Roethlisberger’s final season, converting 36-40 field goal attempts and 27-29 extra point attempts. As reports of Mitchell Trubisky (QB – PIT) struggling in training camp surface, this points towards Boswell getting heavy usage again in 2022. He produced eight double-digit PPR finishes in 17 games for Pittsburgh in 2021, so do yourself a favor by targeting Boswell at the end of fantasy drafts.
Daniel Carlson (K – LV)
After a shaky start to his career in Minnesota threatened to derail his career, Daniel Carlson has proved to be exceptional for the Las Vegas Raiders. He finished as the top fantasy kicker in PPR formats last season, averaging 9.5 PPR points per game and 162 total fantasy points to secure his spot at the top of the kicker leaderboard. In addition, Carlson converted an impressive 40-43 field goal attempts, reaching 20 PPR points with an absurd stat line of 5-5 FG, 3-3 XP that includes a 56-yard field goal conversion. There were a couple of low-scoring performances mixed in during 2021, but with a new head coach and a revamped offense led by All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams (WR – LV), Carlson should see another 35-40 field goal attempts in 2022.
Nick Folk (K – NE)
Nick Folk is a name that flies under the radar in fantasy football. However, the 37-year-old veteran has revived his career with the Patriots over the last three seasons, finishing 2021 with the second-most PPR points with 160. Folk benefitted largely from a run-centric offense that lacked perimeter weapons and struggled to finish near the red zone, creating opportunities for Folk to convert 36-39 field goal attempts. In 2021, Folk’s three two-week stretches produced consecutive double-digit PPR points. Towards the end of the season, Folk began converting more extra point attempts than field goals, but he’s still one of the most consistent and reliable scorers within Bill Belichik’s offense. As a result, he’s worthy of being deemed a top kicker and should be prioritized over most other kickers at the end of fantasy drafts.
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Justin Tucker (K – BAL)
Justin Tucker may be a household name, but he still deserves to be one of the top kickers to target towards the end of fantasy drafts. The issue with selecting Tucker is that he’s typically drafted a round or two earlier than the final round, so you may be required to pay a premium to roster his talented leg. In 2021, Tucker finished with the highest field goal conversion percentage (94.6%), but his most impressive feat was a 66-yard game-winning field goal at Ford Field. That’s right. In epic fashion, Tucker finally set the record for the longest field goal conversion in league history against the Lions. Unfortunately, injuries to the Ravens’ backfield and Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL) limited Tucker’s opportunities. As a result, he only produced two double-digit PPR finishes in the season’s last six weeks. However, a healthier Baltimore offense in 2022 should translate into more opportunities for Tucker, keeping him within the top five kickers to target at the end of fantasy drafts.
Matt Gay (K – LAR)
The Los Angeles Rams relied heavily on Matt Gay to produce a flurry of points in 2021. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut the fourth-year kicker after struggling with a 77.1 conversion percentage in 2019, leading to the Rams signing him for seven games in 2020. However, it wasn’t until 2021 when Gay showed his upside, boasting the second-highest conversion percentage (94.1%) behind only Justin Tucker. Gay started and ended the regular season with multiple double-digit PPR outings while he endured a five-game skid of eight PPR points from Weeks 4-8. He’s undoubtedly a lesser-known name than Justin Tucker, but he is on one of the league’s most explosive offenses heading into 2022. Gay never attempted more than three field goals in 2021, so expect him to have a few games where his attempts increase to four or five, resulting in a higher double-digit scoring probability. Allen Robinson (WR – LAR), Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR), and Cam Akers (RB – LAR) should keep Matt Gay well within field goal range in 2022, making him a top-five kicker to target at the end of fantasy drafts.
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
