While kickers are a critical part of an NFL roster, the fantasy football community has started to remove them from their world. Many fantasy leagues have replaced the kicker spot in their starting lineup with another flex slot. However, kickers are part of the game and should be part of fantasy football.
Everyone wants to draft a superstar kicker like Justin Tucker or Harrison Butker. They might be the two best kickers currently in the NFL. Unfortunately, being the best kicker in the league doesn’t equate to being the best for fantasy football. Furthermore, fantasy players likely can’t select either superstar kicker with one of their final two draft picks.
Therefore, let’s talk about kickers that fantasy players can draft with one of their final two selections. There are two types of kicker draft targets – sleepers and Week 1 streamers. Whether fantasy players want to try to find the next Brandon Aubrey or find someone to score double-digit points on opening weekend, you’ve come to the right place.
All six kickers in this article have an ADP outside the top 168 picks, meaning fantasy players should be able to draft them in the final two rounds of a standard-size 12-team league with 16 rounds. Meanwhile, the three sleeper candidates rank outside the top 15 kickers in ADP.
- 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Fantasy Football Rankings
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Top Kickers to Target at the End of Fantasy Football Drafts
Sleeper Kicker Candidates
Dustin Hopkins (CLE): ADP – K17
Hopkins found a home in Cleveland last year. The Browns signed him to a massive extension in July after the veteran converted 91.7% of his field goal attempts in 2023. While the team’s offense struggled at times last season, Hopkins made 24 of his 26 extra-point attempts. More importantly, the veteran had the 10th-most field goal attempts. Hopefully, Deshaun Watson can stay healthy in 2024, leading to Cleveland putting up more points on the board. After finishing as the K11 last year, Hopkins could have a top-five finish.
Jake Bates (DET): ADP – K19
Welcome to the NFL, rookie! After playing at Texas State and Arkansas in college, Bates spent the spring playing for the United Football League (UFL). The young kicker was a superstar and face of the spring league. He showed off a massive leg, nailing multiple kickers from 60 or more yards away. Meanwhile, Riley Patterson and Michael Badgley combined for 107 fantasy points playing for Detroit last season. While those two veterans struggled, don’t be surprised if Bates follows in Brandon Aubrey’s footsteps and becomes a star as a rookie.
Nick Folk (TEN): ADP – K30
While fantasy players might not like the idea of drafting Folk, the veteran should have a bounce-back year in 2024. He was the K21 last season, averaging 7.4 fantasy points per game. However, Folk had five double-digit fantasy performances despite playing on a Tennessee team that had the sixth-lowest scoring offense in the NFL. Thankfully, their offense should be significantly better this year. Folk made 96.7% of his field goal attempts last season. He could have a top-five finish if the offense gives him more opportunities to score.
Week 1 Streamers
Ka’imi Fairbairn (HOU): ADP – K7
The Texans should have one of the highest-scoring offenses in the NFL this season, with C.J. Stroud having an elite set of weapons. More importantly, Fairbairn has an appealing Week 1 matchup against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts. The veteran scored 15 fantasy points in two matchups versus the Colts last season. However, he was the K2 on a points-per-game basis, averaging 9.3 fantasy points per contest in 2023. The over/under for this game is 48 points, so expect Fairbairn to have plenty of opportunities to score fantasy points.
Cairo Santos (CHI): ADP – K14
After having a sub-par offense for years, the Bears could have one of the top-scoring units in the NFL this season. Santos was the K2 in 2023, averaging 8.8 fantasy points per game despite playing with one of the most inconsistent offenses in the league. He had the third-most field goal attempts last year (38), converting 91.2%. Meanwhile, Santos has an excellent Week 1 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. They surrendered 11 fantasy points per game to kickers last year, the most in fantasy football.
Chase McLaughlin (TB): ADP – K23
McLaughlin might have found a home in Tampa Bay. The veteran was the K13 last season, averaging 7.9 fantasy points per game. He converted a career-high 94% of his field goal attempts, the sixth-highest in the NFL among kickers with at least five attempts. Furthermore, McLaughlin made seven of his eight attempts from 50 or more yards away. Meanwhile, he faces a Washington Commanders team that surrendered the second-most fantasy points per game to kickers last year (10.8). McLaughlin could be one of the highest-scoring kickers in Week 1.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
