History was nearly made (or tied) on Sunday when Brandon Aubrey calmly drilled a 66-yard field goal for the Cowboys in the closing minute of the first half. The kick cleared the crossbar with a few feet to spare, and Aubrey calmly celebrated with his teammates as if it was not a big deal.
Although a penalty for delay of game would erase the kick, Aubrey delivered once again for fantasy owners with four field goals and three extra points to finish with 22 points on the day.
- Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
In any normal week, Aubrey would have been the top-scoring kicker. However, Week 1 was anything but normal, with Chris Boswell earning top honors with six field goals in an 18-10 road win over the Falcons. Not only did Boswell tie the team record with six kicks on the day, but he also helped out with punting duties when Cameron Johnston left with an injury.
Not to be outdone, second-year kicker Jake Moody tied Boswell for top performer with six field goals of his own. His 26 points proved to be a week-winning performance for fantasy managers needing a final push on Monday Night Football.
Overall, a whopping 14 kickers scored over 10 points last week, including four players over 20 points. Although fantasy managers will continue to avoid researching kickers, Week 1 proved just how valuable a big kicker week can be for your fantasy roster.
Week 2 Kicker Rankings & Start/Sit Advice
Week 1 Strong Performances From Widely-Available Kickers
Blake Grupe (K – NO) vs. Carolina: 3% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
The Saints beat up the lowly Panthers to the tune of 47-10. As part of the shellacking, Blake Grupe made all four of his field goal tries and all five extra points. His matchup against the Cowboys on the road is not as enticing as a home matchup against the Panthers, so I would be cautious about chasing the points and starting him this week.
Chase McLaughlin (K – TB) vs. Washington: 2% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
We learned two things this week. One, the Commanders’ defense, even with the addition of head coach Dan Quinn, still stinks. And two, the Bucs are a potent offense that could be a source of more fantasy goodness than initially thought. I would not add Chase McLaughlin yet, but he is someone to watch.
Week 1 Dud Performances From Heavily-Owned Kickers
Younghoe Koo (K – ATL) vs. PIT: 87% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
Aside from the Patriots beating the Bengals on the road in Cincinnati, nothing surprised me more than how inept the Falcons offense looked with Kirk Cousins. Hopefully, they can bounce back and play well enough to give Younghoe Koo options. He is my No. 10 kicker this week and worth a start, but a second-consecutive four-point game could force owners to look elsewhere on the waiver wire.
Week 2 Kicker Rankings
| Rank | ECR | Name | TEAM | Opponent | Spread | O/U | OPP RZ D | RZ EFF* | OFF RNK | K Score** | Weather |
| 1 | 1 | Harrison Butker | KC | vs. CIN | -5.5 | 48.5 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 31 | 85F, Light Wind |
| 2 | 4 | Brandon Aubrey | DAL | vs. NO | -6.5 | 45.5 | 9 | 20 | 4 | 33 | Dome |
| 3 | 5 | Jake Elliott | PHI | vs. ATL | -6.5 | 47.5 | 4 | 23 | 9 | 36 | 73F, Light Wind |
| 4 | 2 | Justin Tucker | BAL | vs. LV | -9.5 | 41.5 | 27 | 25 | 6 | 58 | 81F, Light Wind, Chance of Rain |
| 5 | 3 | Ka’imi Fairbairn | HOU | vs. CHI | -6.5 | 46.5 | 31 | 16 | 15 | 62 | Dome |
| 6 | 7 | Jason Sanders | MIA | vs. BUF | -1.5 | 48 | 15 | 29 | 3 | 47 | 84F, Thunderstorms |
| 7 | 8 | Jake Moody | SF | at MIN | -6.5 | 45.5 | 14 | 31 | 1 | 46 | Dome |
| 8 | 14 | Jason Myers | SEA | at NE | -3.5 | 37.5 | 5 | 6 | 22 | 33 | 80F, Light Wind |
| 9 | 9 | Evan McPherson | CIN | at KC | 5.5 | 48.5 | 8 | 22 | 23 | 53 | 85F, Light Wind |
| 10 | 10 | Younghoe Koo | ATL | at PHI | 6.5 | 47.5 | 29 | 2 | 17 | 48 | 73F, Light Wind |
| 11 | 11 | Cairo Santos | CHI | at HOU | 6.5 | 46.5 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 54 | Dome |
| 12 | 16 | Jake Bates | DET | vs. TB | -7 | 51 | 3 | 30 | 2 | 35 | Dome |
| 13 | 12 | Chris Boswell | PIT | at DEN | -3 | 36.5 | 21 | 7 | 25 | 53 | 83F, Light Winds |
| 14 | 19 | Greg Zuerlein | NYJ | at TEN | -3.5 | 41.5 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 32 | 77F, Light Wind, Chance of Rain |
| 15 | 13 | Cameron Dicker | LAC | at CAR | -6.5 | 38.5 | 28 | 18 | 18 | 64 | 76F, Rain |
| 16 | 6 | Tyler Bass | BUF | at MIA | 1.5 | 48 | 26 | 28 | 5 | 59 | 84F, Thunderstorms |
| 17 | 15 | Blake Grupe | NO | at DAL | 6.5 | 45.5 | 22 | 14 | 13 | 49 | Dome |
| 18 | 17 | Chase McLaughlin | TB | at DET | 7 | 51 | 30 | 5 | 20 | 55 | Dome |
| 19 | 18 | Dustin Hopkins | CLE | at JAC | 3.5 | 42 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 52 | 83F, 12 MPH & Thunderstorms |
| 20 | 21 | Joshua Karty | LAR | at ARI | 1.5 | 50 | 23 | 24 | 7 | 54 | Dome |
| 21 | 25 | Will Reichard | MIN | vs. SF | 6.5 | 45.5 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 25 | Dome |
| 22 | 32 | Spencer Shrader | IND | at GB | -3.5 | 40.5 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 36 | 75F, Chance of Rain |
| 23 | 22 | Matt Prater | ARI | vs. LAR | -1.5 | 50 | 20 | 26 | 19 | 65 | Dome |
| 24 | 33 | Nick Folk | TEN | vs. NYJ | 3.5 | 41.5 | 7 | 4 | 28 | 39 | 77F, Light Wind, Chance of Rain |
| 25 | 23 | Graham Gano | NYG | at WAS | 1.5 | 44.5 | 19 | 1 | 29 | 49 | 81F, Light Wind |
| 26 | 24 | Cam Little | JAC | vs. CLE | -3.5 | 42 | 32 | 11 | 12 | 55 | 83F, 12 MPH & Thunderstorms |
| 27 | 26 | Wil Lutz | DEN | vs. PIT | 3 | 36.5 | 6 | 12 | 26 | 44 | 83F, Light Winds |
| 28 | 20 | Daniel Carlson | LV | at BAL | 9.5 | 41.5 | 2 | 8 | 27 | 37 | 81F, Light Wind, Chance of Rain |
| 29 | 27 | Brayden Narveson | GB | vs. IND | 3.5 | 40.5 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 42 | 75F, Chance of Rain |
| 30 | 28 | Eddy Pineiro | CAR | vs. LAC | 6.5 | 38.5 | 12 | 11 | 32 | 55 | 76F, Rain |
| 31 | 31 | Joey Slye | NE | vs. SEA | 3.5 | 37.5 | 24 | 21 | 30 | 75 | 80F, Light Wind |
*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, giving Justin Tucker an 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 an 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 a kicker has variables working in his favor for a good fantasy kicking performance.
Kicker fantasy football 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 FantasyPros’ expert consensus rankings (ECR) top 10 who could be excellent in Week 2.
Jason Myers (K – SEA) @ New England: 12% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
Jason Myers had a strong start to the season with 10 fantasy points against the Broncos. With a K Score of 33 and a favorable game script, look for Myers to once again put up double-digit points this week on the road against the Pats.
Jake Bates (K – DET) vs. TB: 16% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
A home matchup with a K Score of 35 makes me like Jake Bates this week against the Bucs. Rookies can be risky, but rookies on good offenses can also provide some solid fantasy production. I’m not saying Bates is this year’s Brandon Aubrey, but he is someone I like more than the consensus fantasy football rankings this week.
Week 1 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) vs. Tennessee: 16% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
- ECR Rank: 12
- My Rank: 14
- Week 1 Finish: 7
Cairo Santos benefitted from a sluggish Caleb Williams-led offense that managed fewer than 200 yards of offense. The Bears defense kept the game close and Santos came through for fantasy owners with 13 points. I have Santos as a top-10 kick for the rest of the year.
Greg Zuerlein (K – NYJ) @ San Francisco: 23% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
- ECR Rank: 22
- My Rank: 13
- Week 1 Finish: Kicker 32
Not a great start for Greg Zuerlein and the Jets, as the 49ers created a negative game script that not only negated chances for field goals. The Jets were also forced to go for two-point conversations on two of their three touchdowns.
Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups
Top Add
Jason Myers (K – SEA) @ New England: 12% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
Jason Myers finished last season as the fourth kicker overall, yet is rostered in only 12% of Yahoo leagues. After a solid performance this week against the Pats, I anticipate his roster percentage will grow to at least 35%.
Other Kickers to Consider
Cairo Santos (K – CHI) vs. HOU: 25% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
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