The Texans beat the visiting Chicago Bears 19-13 at a sold-out NRG stadium on Sunday Night, moving Houston to 2-0 on the season. The defense stifled rookie Caleb Williams, D’Andre Swift averaged fewer than two yards per tote and, offensively, Nico Collins proved he is an alpha once again.
But the game ball from head coach Demeco Ryans went to kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, who kicked four field goals, including a 59-yard attempt to lead the Texans to victory. The veteran kicker has set an NFL record with six field goals of over 50 yards in his first two games and currently ranks second among fantasy kickers with 37 points over two weeks of play.
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Another game ball for Week 2 went to Daniel Carlson of the Las Vegas Raiders. Carlson made a pair of clutch 50-yard tries as the visiting Raiders upset the Ravens 26-23. Carlson’s 18 points placed him third on the week behind Austin Seibert and Fairbairn. He could be a solid play this week as the Raiders host the Panthers in Vegas.
Week 3 Kicker Rankings & Start/Sit Advice
Week 2 Strong Performances From Widely-Available Kickers
Austin Seibert (K – WAS) vs. NYG: 0% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
It’s not often that the top-performing player in any position is rostered in fewer than 1% of fantasy leagues, but that was the case for Commanders kicker Austin Seibert. Seibert kicked seven field goals against the Giants, giving the veteran journeyman 22 points on Sunday. Typically, I would have Seibert ranked higher this week with his K Score of 26, but his road matchup as a 7-point underdog against the Bengals gives me pause.
Matt Prater (K – ARI) vs. LA Rams: 7% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
Matt Prater’s 14 points scored against the Rams were the sixth-most on the week, as the Cardinals’ offense exploded for 41 points in a lopsided win over the banged-up Rams. I need to see a few more weeks of this offense before moving Prater up my rankings, but he could be in line for a strong season if Kyler Murray and the offense move the ball like they did against the Rams.
Week 2 Dud Performances From Heavily-Owned Kickers
Jason Sanders (K – MIA) vs. BUF: 82% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
A negative game script killed Jason Sanders’ value (four points). Another concussion to Tua Tagovailoa could limit his value for the remainder of the season. I was not as high as the consensus on Sanders before the season started, and the injury to Tagovailoa makes Sanders a candidate to move on from to another option like Cairo Santos or Jason Myers.
Week 3 Kicker Rankings
| Rank | ECR | Name | TEAM | Opponent | Spread | O/U | OPP RZ EFF | RZ EFF* | OFF RNK | K Score** | Weather |
| 1 | 1 | Harrison Butker | KC | at ATL | -4.5 | 46.5 | 5 | 12 | 15 | 32 | Dome |
| 2 | 2 | Brandon Aubrey | DAL | vs. BAL | 1.5 | 48 | 19 | 3 | 17 | 39 | Dome |
| 3 | 10 | Blake Grupe | NO | vs. PHI | -2 | 49 | 5 | 30 | 3 | 38 | Dome |
| 4 | 7 | Jake Elliott | PHI | at NO | 2 | 49 | 2 | 16 | 6 | 24 | Dome |
| 5 | 3 | Jake Moody | SF | at LAR | -7 | 43.5 | 25 | 15 | 4 | 44 | Dome |
| 6 | 4 | Ka’imi Fairbairn | HOU | at MIN | -2.5 | 45 | 5 | 29 | 9 | 43 | Dome |
| 7 | 5 | Justin Tucker | BAL | at DAL | -1.5 | 48 | 32 | 14 | 1 | 47 | Dome |
| 8 | 9 | Cameron Dicker | LAC | at PIT | 2 | 35 | 2 | 22 | 12 | 36 | 78F, Light Wind |
| 9 | 11 | Younghoe Koo | ATL | vs. KC | 4.5 | 46.5 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 42 | Dome |
| 10 | 24 | Brayden Narveson | GB | at TEN | 3 | 36.5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 86F, Slight Chance of Rain |
| 11 | 14 | Jake Bates | DET | at ARI | -3 | 52 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 28 | Dome |
| 12 | 8 | Tyler Bass | BUF | vs. JAC | -5 | 45.5 | 26 | 28 | 21 | 75 | 60F, Rain, light Wind |
| 13 | 12 | Daniel Carlson | LV | vs. CAR | -5.5 | 40.5 | 31 | 22 | 23 | 76 | Dome |
| 14 | 6 | Evan McPherson | CIN | vs. WAS | -8 | 48.5 | 28 | 22 | 24 | 74 | 76F, Chance of Rain, Light Wind |
| 15 | 13 | Chase McLaughlin | TB | vs. DEN | -7 | 39,5 | 8 | 23 | 19 | 50 | 87F, Light Wind |
| 16 | 20 | Jason Sanders | MIA | at SEA | 5 | 41.5 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 28 | 63F, Rain,Light Wind |
| 17 | 15 | Jason Myers | SEA | vs. MIA | -5 | 41.5 | 30 | 3 | 13 | 46 | 63F, Rain,Light Wind |
| 18 | 17 | Chris Boswell | PIT | vs. LAC | -2 | 49 | 1 | 3 | 30 | 34 | 78F, Light Wind |
| 19 | 18 | Dustin Hopkins | CLE | vs. NYG | -6.5 | 38.5 | 4 | 31 | 28 | 63 | 80F, Light Wind |
| 20 | 16 | Cairo Santos | CHI | at IND | 2 | 42 | 26 | 22 | 31 | 79 | Dome |
| 21 | 19 | Matt Prater | ARI | vs. DET | 3 | 52 | 18 | 26 | 7 | 51 | Dome |
| 22 | 21 | Greg Zuerlein | NYJ | vs. NE | -6.5 | 37.5 | 15 | 28 | 27 | 70 | 70F, Rain, Light Wind |
| 23 | 32 | Joey Slye | NE | at NYJ | 6.5 | 37.5 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 38 | 70F, Rain, Light Wind |
| 24 | 23 | Cam Little | JAC | at BUF | 5.5 | 45.5 | 12 | 14 | 22 | 48 | 60F, Rain, light Wind |
| 25 | 25 | Wil Lutz | DEN | at TB | 7 | 39.5 | 15 | 0 | 29 | 44 | 87F, Light Wind |
| 26 | 26 | Will Reichard | MIN | vs. HOU | 2.5 | 45 | 28 | 25 | 11 | 64 | Dome |
| 27 | 27 | Austin Seibert | WAS | at CIN | 8 | 48.5 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 26 | 76F, Chance of Rain, Light Wind |
| 28 | 28 | Eddy Pineiro | CAR | at LV | -5.5 | 40.5 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 68 | Dome |
| 29 | 29 | Nick Folk | TEN | vs. GB | -3 | 36.5 | 19 | 8 | 24 | 51 | 86F, Slight Chance of Rain |
| 30 | 30 | Graham Gano | NYG | at CLE | 6.5 | 38.5 | 15 | 22 | 24 | 61 | 80F, Light Wind |
| 31 | 31 | Matt Gay | IND | vs. CHI | -2 | 42 | 19 | 25 | 14 | 58 | Dome |
| 32 | 22 | Joshua Karty | LAR | vs. SF | 7 | 43.5 | 24 | 10 | 16 | 50 | Dome |
*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 3.
Brayden Narveson (K – GB) @ Tennessee: 2% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
It may sound crazy to recommend a rookie kicker who is rostered in just 2% of leagues, but Brayden Narveson is coming off an 11-point game at home against the Colts. This week’s matchup against the Titans could be another double-digit performance. His K Score of 18 is the best of the week and hard to ignore.
Jake Bates (K – DET) @ Arizona: 16% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
Jake Bates came through with 10 fantasy points and a top-12 finish last week at home against the Bucs. His K Score of 28 this week on the road against the Cardinals makes him an interesting streaming option.
Week 2 Prediction Review
Each week I suggest two kickers ranked outside 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.
Jason Myers (K – SEA) @ New England: 12% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
- ECR Rank: 14
- My Rank: 8
- Week 2 Finish: 9
Jason Myers made three fields and a pair of extra points to finish with 12 fantasy points and a top-10 finish. Myers is often an overlooked fantasy option and rostered in just 10% of leagues despite finishing as a top-five kicker last year. If you need a kicker and someone who is a viable option most weeks, Myers is your guy.
Jake Bates (K – DET) vs. TB: 16% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
- ECR Rank: 22
- My Rank: 13
- Week 2 Finish: Kicker T12
Jake Bates has 18 points in his first two weeks of the season, including 10 points last week in a disappointing home loss to the Bucs. Rookie kickers are often a risk, but they can pan out if they play in the right situation. I typically do not like kickers in a Dan Campbell-led team because he goes for it on fourth down too much when given the option to kick field goals. However, if the Lions continue to rank in the lower third in red zone efficiency, Bates could have value this year.
Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups
Top Add
Blake Grupe (K – NO) vs. Philadelphia: 6% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
Blake Grupe did not put up a monster score last week but did come through with a modest seven points as the Saints dismantled the Cowboys 44-19. Through two weeks, Groupe is fifth in points but available in 94% of leagues. The Saints’ offense looks legit and their defense is playing at a high level, making Grupe an interesting add for sure.
Other Kickers to Consider
Jake Bates (K – DET) vs. TB: 16% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
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