It is not often you see a blocked field goal return for a touchdown. It is even more rare to see two in one week, including the game-sealing return touchdown by the Giants in Seattle.

Perhaps most surprising was the Steelers blocking a kick from Cowboys superhuman kicker Brandon Aubrey. While it did not result in a touchdown for the Steelers, it was one of the first times we have seen Aubrey shank a kick, as it was clearly not going to be made before it was tipped at the line.

Entering play on Monday Night, there are six kickers rostered in 90% or more of Yahoo Leagues. That number is likely going to drop to five, as fantasy managers will need to pivot away from Jake Moody of the 49ers after the second-year kicker from Michigan sustained an ankle injury that will keep him out for an extended period.

It is a shame for Moody managers, as the 49ers’ struggles in the red zone have been pronounced this season without Christian McCaffrey. Mooney had eight fantasy points before leaving with the injury and would have had at least two more opportunities against the Cardinals.

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Week 6 Kicker Rankings & Start/Sit Advice

Week 5 Strong Performances From Widely-Available Kickers

Will Reichard (K – MIN) vs. New York Jets: 3% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

The former Alabama Crimson Tide kicker has quietly put together a solid start to his rookie season with 50 fantasy points in five games. Will Reichard has yet to miss a kick and his 16 extra points put him tied for second behind Justin Tucker. This week, he finished with 16 fantasy points against the Jets, tied with Ka’imi Fairbairn, Younghoe Koo and Chase McLaughlin. He is on bye this week and not someone to target on the waiver wire, but he could be worth a pickup next week.

Chase McLaughlin (K – TB) @ Atlanta: 17% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

If you take out a one-point dud against the Broncos in Week 3, Chase McLaughlin has double-digit points every week this year. His latest performance of 16 points against the Falcons was his best of the year so far. He is a great option to add off the waiver wire if you are looking for a replacement for Jake Moody.

Week 5 Dud Performances From Heavily-Owned Kickers

Evan McPherson (K – CIN) vs. Baltimore: 92% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

It’s not easy for a kicker to put up just four fantasy points in a game with 79 combined points scored, but that is what happened to Evan McPherson. He made all four of his extra-point tries but missed a 50-yard attempt that would have given him a respectable nine points on the day.

Week 6 Kicker Rankings

*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 6.

Jake Elliott (K – PHI): vs. Cleveland: 44% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

The Browns have been terrible and the Eagles are coming off a bye with both of their starting receivers back from injury. The game script projects a strong performance for Jake Elliott. His 29.5 K Score also looks promising.

Wil Lutz (K – DEN) vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 4% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

Wil Lutz has a home game in what could be a low-scoring matchup between two teams with subpar offenses and strong defenses. The industry has Lutz as the 19th-ranked kicker, but I have him finishing as a top-12 option.

Week 5 Prediction Review

Each week, I suggest two kickers ranked outside the FantasyPros’ expert consensus rankings (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.

Austin Seibert (K – WAS): vs. Cleveland: 16% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

• ECR Rank: 16
• My Rank: 9
• Week 5 Finish: T-10

Austin Seibert is another player quietly having a solid start to the season, and he is benefitting from a surprisingly potent Washington Commanders offense. If you throw out his goose egg in the first week of the season, he is averaging 13 points per game. He had an impressive K score against the Browns this week and came through with 10 points and a top-10 finish.

Will Reichard (K – MIN) vs. New York Jets: 3% Roster Percentage on Yahoo

• ECR Rank: 19
• My Rank: 12
• Week 5 Finish: 1

It is exciting to see the K Score come through with a K1 finish, especially when the player is someone rostered in fewer than 5% of leagues. Don’t add Will Reichard this week with the Vikings on bye, but I would feel comfortable adding him for Week 7.

Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

• Chase McLaughlin (K – TB) @ New Orleans: 17% Roster Percentage on Yahoo
• Jake Elliott (K – PHI) vs. Cleveland – 43% Roster Percentage on Yahoo